Lila Moss On What Mom Kate Moss Taught Her About Beauty And Her New Marc Jacobs Campaign

Growing in the early aughts, it was hard to go anywhere without seeing — or smelling — the Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance. The scent, full of fresh and sweet notes, was captivating to young people everywhere for allowing just the right amount of sophistication in a personal fragrance, while still clinging to the playful, youthful spirit of the wearer. The bottle was chic, but not too mature as to be out of place on a teenagers night stand.

Daisy informed the early beauty sensibilities of the time, and while it still has a place in the conversation today (as do its more recent iterations), the latest Marc Jacobs fragrance, Perfect, was informed by this new moment in time, and its essence of fluid, rich inclusivity. Named after Jacobs' personal mantra, I am perfect as I am, the idea rings so true to Jacobs that it's even tattooed on his wrist.

"I put it there to remind me, for when I'm looking at myself and wishing that I could be stronger in this way or better at that thing, and I can just go no, I'm exactly how I need to be," Marc Jacobs shared in a press release. "So, perfect."

It's that same fierce desire for endless self-love, acceptance, and authenticity is at the core of the new fragrance, which delights with surprising notes rhubarb and bright daffodil, based in the comforting and calming notes of almond milk. It makes its debut in a campaign just as reflective of its ethos, starring 17-year-old Lila Moss and a glowing cast of 42 additional models and personalities, many of whom were chosen by Jacobs himself through an open casting call on social media. Shot by Juergen Teller with creative direction from Katie Grand, the campaign flashes through vignettes and portraits of each unique individual, declaring that they too, are perfect the way they are.

Though she was named the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty in 2018, there are few things in the beauty world as nostalgic and iconic as a Marc Jacobs fragrance, and that truth isn't lost on Lila Moss. In fact, despite growing up under the guidance of her mother, the legendary supermodel Kate Moss — and by extension, the fashion industries most formative and impactful talents — there isn't much about her extraordinary life that is.

"It's so exciting, you have to embody the scent," Moss shares with NYLON over a Zoom call. "I love the message behind the scent. It's to be yourself, to be authentic, and I feel like that also comes with it."

Ahead, NYLON caught up with Moss ahead of the perfumes launch about landing her first fragrance campaign, growing up with social media, and knowing Kate Moss as mom, not a supermodel.

You grew up watching your mom do everything, in the throes of the industry at a super young age. How did that exposure affect your relationship with beauty while you were growing up?

I think because, as you said, I grew up around it, I wasn't really aware of what was really going on I just thought I was normal, I guess. So when I think about it, I think everyone's mom affects how you see beauty or whatever, but I didn't think her in the industry had as much of an effect on me as just her as her, being a mom.

How do you feel like that's evolved over time now that you're in the industry, and specifically doing a lot of work in the beauty space?

I think when you're working within the industry, and say with a beauty campaign for Marc Jacobs, you're wearing like a lot of makeup. So I feel like when you're out of that, you try to stay as natural as possible. That's just how I see it.

You said that your mom didn't really influence you too much just from being in the industry, but as a mother, what were some of the most formative beauty lessons that she has passed down to you over the years?

She told me that less is more. Keep it natural, not too much, like cakey. And she always curls her eyelashes, now I always curl my eyelashes, like every day. Even if I'm not wearing makeup, I'll always curl my lashes.

Since you're normally going super natural and simple, what does your quarantine routine look like?

For skin care, I just wash my face with my Rescue cleanser and then I have this little electric thing, it has bristles on it. And then toner, elixir, serum, and then Marc Jacobs Youthquake moisturizer.

You've been working with the Marc Jacobs for a formative part of your career. Why does the brand, and also the products specifically, feel like such a good fit for you?

I've known Marc for a very long time; I see him as one of my mom's close friends. So for it being one of my first campaigns, it's really important just to have that connection. And then I think Marc as a person, is one of the most amazing designers, obviously. And then he's so creative and just has so many ideas. Working with him is so exciting all the time. His brand also feels very young, especially the fragrance part, that feels very young and feminine.

How do you feel like the message behind the perfume and campaign, perfect, resonates with you, especially at this time of your life?

I think it's a really important message, especially with social media. I feel like everyone's comparing themselves. You go on it and as soon as you go on it, you follow people who think are pretty, you follow all these different people and then you see them and you compare yourself to them, which is not the healthiest thing to have input in your brain every day. But I think this message is just so good because if you wear it every day, it will remind you every day to just be yourself and be authentic and just be confident in your own skin and that the idea of perfect isn't that you have to be perfect, it's that you are perfect as you are.

Marc Jacobs Perfect Eau de Parfum is now available at Macy's for $96.