How Saie Built a Diehard Beauty Community

“The audience comes last, so that they can come first.” - Erin Starkweather How does a beauty brand that only launched in November 2019 end up selling one Glowy Super Gel every 10 seconds at Sephora? Erin Starkweather, Creative Director of Saie Beauty, has been there even before day one. She started out packing boxes in her apartment on Sunday nights, and today she shapes every visual touchpoint of the brand. Before Saie, Erin worked at Cap Beauty in New York and as a beauty consultant, until founder Laney Crowell brought her in. In this episode, she takes us inside the creative world of one of beauty’s most-loved brands: “easy, effortless and elevated” makeup for skin that looks like yours, only better. Erin breaks down how a beauty campaign comes together, from the product brief and mood board to the Super Suede Eyeshadow launch starring Helena Christensen, inspired by 90s Steven Meisel imagery. She explains why Saie shoots its baked powders in Italy, how she plans Sephora fixtures and visual merchandising a year in advance while staying nimble, and how often the team shoots to keep content fresh. She also shares how Saie built a diehard community through events, its Clean Beauty Crew, an arts and culture program, and its livestreamed Makeup Class, plus advice for small beauty brands growing a fandom on a low budget. Rounding it out: what it’s like to choose in-house over consulting, what she learned from Laney about not taking no for an answer, and what’s next as Saie launches in Sephora UK. If you work in beauty marketing, brand building or creative direction, or you just love Saie, this one’s for you. INSIDE THE EPISODE: 00:00 — Intro: Meet Saie’s Creative Director 02:55 — How Saie’s Creative Process Works 08:18 — Why “The Audience Comes Last” 09:43 — Why Saie Shoots in Italy 11:13 — From Packing Boxes to Planning a Year Ahead 15:54 — Super Suede Eyeshadow & the One-Shade Look 18:47 — Behind the Helena Christensen Campaign 25:15 — Let’s Build a Beauty Campaign 28:55 — How Saie Built a Diehard Community 34:13 — What Moved the Needle: From Launch to Sephora 38:01 — In-House vs Consulting & Not Taking No 41:58 — Launching Saie in the UK 44:43 — Saie’s Makeup Class & Where to Shop Connect with our Guest: Erin Starkweather on Instagram: @erinstarkweather Saie on Instagram: @saiebeauty Shop Saie: saiehello.com Enjoyed this Episode?Join our Community! Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram, @arielle.thomas Us, on Instagram, @processthepodcast Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! This episode includes references to third-party brands, retailers, publications, campaigns, and photographic works (including Sephora and the work of Steven Meisel) discussed for educational commentary. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For takedowns or copyright inquiries, please contact [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices