PALM BEACH, Fla. — The second day of the WWD Beauty CEO Summit was full of insights, including a broad-brush picture of what it is that makes the industry so remarkable.
“What I love about beauty is that it’s changing over time,” said Alexis Perakis-Valat, chief executive officer of L’Oréal USA. “It’s in the land of emotions and of rational thinking, of desire and functionality, of left brain and right brain, of math and a lot of logic. This blend is absolutely amazing. And, of course, the fact that it’s a force for good.”
Plus, as author, fashion designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg put it: “Life is an adventure, and your life in business is an adventure, too. So follow your heart and do the best.”
Here, four main takeaways from Wednesday.
Agility Is Always a Must
“We’re thinking like challengers,” Perakis-Valat said of the team at L’Oréal USA, adding that even when a company is riding high, maintaining the scrappiness of an underdog will always be a strategic advantage.
Alexis Perakis-Valat
Marissa Alper/WWD
This is especially true in times like these of back-to-back economic and global crises: “We’re pretty good at managing a certain level of organized chaos,” he said, with a laugh.
JP Morgan’s Jeannette Smits van Oyen echoed this sentiment.
“There is no such thing as normal,” she said, explaining that in terms of M&A activity, for instance, mega-deals — or acquisitions of more than $5 billion in value — are becoming far more commonplace today than ever before.
What remains true, however, is that consistent, organic sales growth is still of the utmost importance to investors, Smits said.
From a medical aesthetics perspective, founder and dermatologist Dr. Muneeb Shah said that practices must stay tapped into what customers want — which, today, is more than ever. From PDRN injections in Asia to “Ozempic face” solutions and more, there is an onus to always be listening and primed for adoption when the time is right.
Not All Utilizations of AI Are Created Equal
Companies must be intentional about how and when they’re using AI, particularly consumer-facing AI, as customers are still wary of how the technology may impact their lives in unwanted ways.
“Think of how you can use AI to empower [consumers],” said Chris Sanderson, cofounder of The Future Laboratory.
From a product-development point of view, Biologique Recherche CEO Jean-Guillaume Trottier said that the skin care brand is “using AI to fast-track ingredient compatibility” and other processes, but not for product inception.
Perakis-Valat said L’Oréal has defined three main chapters in its AI journey. The first is the AI-powered consumer journey. “Then chapter two is AI-powered functions — we call them métiers — it’s about how we empower our marketing teams. We see tons of opportunities in R&D — testing molecules at speed, at scale,” he said. Then there are AI-powered employees.
“I really believe in this top-down and bottom-up approach,” Perakis-Valat said, underlining it is key that ideas emerge from the base.
Amazon, meanwhile, on Wednesday launched Alexa for Shopping — a commerce chatbot that seeks to make shopping even more personalized and seamless.
Move in Lockstep With Culture
Amazon attributed its growing impact on beauty retail not just to convenience, but also, investment in cultural fluency.
Between Prime Video; interactive, shoppable livestreams, and the platform’s growing live sports arm, Amazon is increasingly “becoming a place to spend time,” said general manager, health and beauty Wendy Franks.
More generally, showing how culturally in tune a company is can be a differentiator at a time when sameness and ease are prominent in beauty.
“When tech standardizes convenience, brands win by atmosphere, emotion and sensory experiences that drive loyalty,” said Madeleine Boyd, global senior vice president, beauty and wellness, Together Group. The growth in pop-ups, beauty festivals and other in-person community gatherings are testament to this movement.
Mecca, for instance, held major events to celebrate the opening of the world’s largest beauty store in Melbourne in August 2025.
“There were mile-long queues outside and down both sides of the store,” said Jo Horgan, founder and co-CEO of Mecca. “People turned up at 4 a.m. We celebrated with marching bands, dancers, live music, DJs, trumpeters, sweet treats. It was a full-on beauty carnival.”
Mecca holds talks to tap into topical subjects of the day. “We’ve hosted conversations on everything from women’s health to how to drive gender equality, with speakers like Justin Trudeau and Katie Telford,” Horgan said.
There Are Many Secrets to Longevity
The theme of longevity percolated at the summit — in terms of products and services, but also how to live one’s best life.
“Don’t compare yourself to anyone, just be you. Be the best of you. Be honest with yourself and have a fun ride,” von Furstenberg said.
She added that her commitment to being herself has been among her greatest assets over the years.
“You go on YouTube, and you can see me saying the same thing, more or less, when I was 25, 35, 45, 55,” she said.
Her understanding — and exaltation — of womanhood has also been a strength.
“For me, it’s always been the woman before fashion,” she said. “It’s been my commitment to make the woman bad-ass, in charge. I make products that are no bulls–t, that are flattering, that are beautiful.”
Kindness, too, is one aspect of longevity, von Furstenberg said.
“Kindness is a currency, and just like money, it compounds, it compounds, it compounds,” she said. “Generosity is absolutely the best investment.”