16 June 2009

Whats In A Name?


If there is one question I get asked more than any other, it's how to pronounce Illamasqua. Officially, it's Illa-mass-ka. However, as in our make-up application beliefs, there is no right or wrong way... it's about everyone's individual interpretation.

OK, so that's how you say it. So what does it mean?!

I managed to grab a moment with Julian, the founder and Chairman of Illamasqua, to tell me more about the mystery surrounding the name...

"I wanted a name which would be unique to us but also which would allow everyone to hold their own slightly unique interpretation. To this end it was almost certain that we would have to make our own word up!

Ideas were coming forward at the time that were perfect for us but were just too literal: Masquerade and Illusion were two clear favourites. At the time I had just read Anne Rice’s 'Interview with a Vampire' and was stopped dead on the page by the first mention of the Talamasca –I loved the thought of what it stood for and loved the way the word sounded when you said it. It wasn’t a big leap in taking the “Ill” of illusion and the “masquer” of masquerade and forming them with the same sound of Talamasca: Illamasqua.

From the moment it was written is sounded like it had been with us for ever – I always felt it had a Far Eastern feel to it too which I kind of liked to as it felt mysterious."

How about the logo?


"The logo came from an image I saw of a heart being pierced by the Cross and blood flowing from it. It was only in the later stages of the design that the very same shape took on the reversed ‘Q’ with I suppose most people think we lifted from the Q in Illamasqua. Happy coincidence!"

So that's the inspiration behind the name. What is your interpretation of the name? Let us know in the comments section below!

7 comments:

  1. I thought Illamasqua was a secret code word you say to your alter ego when its time to be unleashed... The word translates to "I'll un-mask you".

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeah I got a 'mask' vibe from the name too! it's a cool story on how the name came about!

    ReplyDelete
  3. when i think of the name, i think of vampy aristocrats! weird, i know...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Personally, for me, the name corresponds to the mask we all hide behind, and the removal of that mask when we decide to become who we really are. When we paint out face and let our "hidden nature" out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Umm. What year did illamasqua launch?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Haha I was saying to my boyfriend only minutes before finding this blog post that the name sounded like Talamasca from Queen of the Damned.. I could not believe it when I was right!

    ReplyDelete

We love to hear from you!