It was 1993…and “Vamp” was the name. I was in 4th grade and my sister was too cool for me, for sure. She was who I looked up to, the big 8th grader heading into high school. She taught me so much about fashion, trends and culture. She was the one who introduced me to the likes of Jack Kerouac, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. A dark yet formative time in my life which yields great dividends to this day.
Her style could ebb and flow from Generra’s “Hypercolor Metamorphic Color System” matching jacket and pants all the way to her infamous powder blue skirt suit with matching wedding buttons she wore on her flight to Paris. She was 14 and the all knowing, holy grail of cool. 1993 was when she introduced me to this polish when “Vamp” had a dark and eerie connotation but also was synonymous with velvety luxury you associate with a brand like CHANEL.
In 1994, the name changed to “Rouge Noir” which is still with us today thanks to its timeless beauty and richness. I was elated earlier this year when I saw colors awfully close to - dare I say it…Merlot. This color is back and when you think about it, I don’t know if it ever left. Only now, it’s style is ageless, just like the brand.
