Essence Beauty Carnival

Mark Stephen partnered with Essence to create the Essence Beauty Carnival. Originating at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, the Beauty Carnival has evolved into a multi-sensory experience dedicated to the celebration of all things beauty. In three years, the experience has expanded to include custom activations; a stage, featuring beauty demos and interviews; and a museum, celebrating the history of hair care. In addition to the overall conceptualization, design, and on-site management, Mark Stephen collaborated directly with many of the multi-cultural divisions of the top beauty brands, including L’Oreal, Coty and Revlon, on the development of their activations, with the objectives of building awareness and social engagement while maintaining a cohesive design aesthetic in the festival environment. Year-over-year, the sold-out program has doubled in size and gained record-setting attendance. The program expanded to New York City in 2019.