Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Glamorous’ is set in the world of the makeup industry, following the lives of the employees of the titular company. It is owned by Madolyn Addison, an ex-supermodel who decided to create a makeup brand of her own. Through her hard work and dedication, she found success, but over the years, the company started to lose touch with her customer base. To get back to her roots, she visits a local makeup store, where she meets Marco Meija.
Marco makes an impact on Madolyn, and she hires him to be her second assistant. She sees his potential and believes he could be an asset to the company with his fresh perspective and ideas. Madolyn needs to find a way to connect with the customers and stay relevant. The other option is to sell to Vendemiaire, a bigger brand that will take away Madolyn’s creative freedom.
The show presents the harsh truths of working in the cutthroat makeup industry, where everyone looks out for themselves. Madolyn’s efforts to save Glamorous are often counteracted by her employees, who worry about their future. This realistic presentation of the story might make you wonder if the show is based on a real story.
Madolyn Addison is a Fictional Character
‘Glamourous’ is a fictional show created by Jordon Nardino. Madolyn Addison, her company, Glamorous, and the rival company, Vendemiaire, are all fictional, created to serve the purpose of the story. The creators of the show haven’t confirmed whether they based Madolyn and her company on a particular person, but her background shares commonality with a lot of people who have turned towards the beauty industry over the years.
Madolyn Addison used to be a supermodel. After retiring from her successful career, she turns to beauty products. When Marco asks her why she did that, she says it was because no one thought she could. Over the years, several people in the modeling industry have followed up by creating their own makeup brands and other products. It started in 1994 when Iman, a former model, launched her line of makeup, which included foundations for women of color.
Talking about why she decided to enter the business of making beauty products, she said: “I knew in my heart I wouldn’t model forever.” She was also interested in creating a line of foundations that would suit all skin tones. Back then, the makeup was primarily centered around Caucasian models. When she started her own company, she found that the industry was not supportive of her. They didn’t take models seriously. Despite the challenges, she went forward with the plan and created her line of makeup, primarily foundations, making it one of the most successful ventures of her life.
The trend of models and actors opening their skincare line picked pace in the 2000s. In 2004, Cindy Crawford launched Meaningful Beauty. The decision was spurred by her desire to move forward in life and do something different after modeling. Since then, celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kylie Jenner, Taraji P. Henson, and Chrissy Teigen, among others, have also created their lines of skincare products. Models like Jessica Hart and Tyra Banks have also turned to creating beauty products, bringing something new and different to their customers.
While there are many success stories, creating and maintaining a business is not as easy as it seems. In 2004, model and actress Josie Maran launched her beauty company, which almost went bankrupt in the first year during the stages of development. She revealed that the situation had become so dire that her accountant told her she might have to sell her house. It looked like there would be no way out for a while, but she didn’t lose faith and worked hard to keep the company afloat. It all worked out for the best. ‘Glamorous’ presents the challenges of running a makeup company, focusing on things the audience might not be familiar with. While they have not based the characters or the companies in the show on real people or organizations, they have kept their struggles and challenges as real as possible.
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