Givenchy, Rhode Make Cosmetics Public Fashion Accessories

Beauty Products Become Visible Accessories

Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear collection, presented in October 2026 at Paris Fashion Week, featured beauty items integrated into apparel. Creative Director Sarah Burton showcased face powder compacts as belt buckles and lipstick tubes as hairpins, expanding on a broader industry trend where beauty products function as public accessories rather than private tools.

This phenomenon gained significant traction following Rhode's 2024 launch of a viral lip gloss phone case, which enabled consumers to visibly carry and display their beauty products. This initial offering helped establish a new product category where personal care items become overt fashion statements, moving beyond their traditional role.

Market Expansion and Whimsical Trends

The concept of wearable beauty products has since expanded across various market segments. Knock-off versions of Rhode's phone case are available on platforms such as Temu and AliExpress, while mass-market brand ColourPop adapted the idea into a phone grip designed to hold lip gloss.

Inspired by the Asian market, brands like Cocokind and Touchland have introduced lip glosses and hand sanitizers as customizable bag charms. Mathilde Riba, beauty insights manager at trend forecasting agency Spate, notes that social media has shifted private routines into public feeds, with branded beauty merchandise extending this display of product usage.

Data from Spate in August 2026 indicates a "whimsical aesthetic" trend, with approximately 200,000 average monthly Google searches and 55.2 million average weekly TikTok views, supporting consumer desire for playful items priced typically between $10 and $40.

Luxury Brands and Strategic Collaborations

Luxury brands are also adopting this trend, offering high-end beauty accessories. Dior launched a lip gloss that functions as a phone grip as part of its holiday beauty collection; the $95 Dior Medallion lip balm quickly sold out on Dior’s website and is now found on secondhand sites like Poshmark for $280.

In 2025, Balenciaga introduced mini fragrance bottle bag charms alongside its fragrance line, priced at $490, although these charms do not contain actual fragrance. Fenty Beauty is set to launch a collaboration with phone case company Casetify on October 28, 2026.

This collection will include Fenty-branded AirPod and iPad holders, plus a phone case designed to hold both a Fenty lip gloss and powder compact, with prices ranging from $15 to $74.

Implications for Brand Loyalty and Overconsumption

This shift from private beauty consumption to public display transforms product use into an act of brand loyalty and community building. Nanette Wong, global VP of marketing communications for Fenty Beauty Brands at Kendo, states that visible branding, such as a Fenty case, helps consumers identify with the "Fenty fam." However, this trend also faces scrutiny.

Rhode's September 2026 collaboration with influencer Alexandra Leclerc introduced mini Pocket Blush sticks with carabiners as bag charms. This launch coincided with founder Hailey Bieber's statement at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit that she was "not interested in overconsumption," sparking online backlash over the production of additional plastic accessories.

Despite the criticism, these Rhode accessories have sold out and are reselling for over $200 on platforms like Mercari and Poshmark. Asian beauty brands can adopt similar strategies for public product display, but must carefully balance brand visibility with consumer concerns about sustainability and perceived overconsumption.