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On Tuesday, Korean skincare label Medicube announced that makeup artist Sir John has been appointed creative director and ambassador of the 11-year-old brand.
In his new role, Sir John, known for his work with Beyoncé, Zendaya and Serena Williams, will advise on marketing and product development, as well as host events (a forthcoming LA pop-up is scheduled for late March). His job is to help the brand’s message “translate well from Harlem to Hong Kong,” Sir John told The Business of Beauty in an exclusive interview. Medicube chief executive Byunghoon “Victor” Kim added that the artist’s creative direction “will shape the way we communicate our technology, develop compelling content and continue our mission to bridge the gap between clinical skincare and everyday beauty routines.”
Medicube is best known for tools like the Booster Pro, a facial contouring wand with six functions that is a best-seller in its native Korea. “I love the fact that it’s like a gua sha on steroids,” Sir John said. “It snatches me back to 2002.” The brand also sells topical skincare products, with color-coded collections for hydration, pore cleansing, and other benefits. It was founded in 2014 by Byunghoon Kim and Lee Ju-kwan as a division of the APR Corporation, a manufacturer of branded and private-label beauty tech. The brand entered the US in 2022, with the launch of its Derma EMS Shot electromagnetic stimulation device. Last year, the brand inked a partnership with TJX Companies to bring its products to 5,000 North American doors; it’s also carried at Walmart and on TikTok Shop.
Sir John comes to the brand with decades of experience. Beyond his celebrity clientele, he was also the creative director of L’Oréal Paris’ makeup collection. Medicube is his first partnership with a skincare brand.
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Though his medium is makeup, Sir John said skin has always been his focus. “Even when I started working with B[eyoncé], I thought if we’re gonna do shows or Super Bowls, I still wanted to give that radiant, healthy skin,” he explained. The artist was inspired by the Korean approach to beauty, which he feels is forward-thinking but rooted in tradition.
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