Misty Copeland is the New Face of Estée Lauder—and We're Liking This Trend

Between book deals and Under Armour endorsements, her own Barbie doll and a spot at the judges table on NBC’s “World of Dance,” Misty Copeland has been one of the few ballerinas to break into mainstream pop culture. Now she’s conquering the world of cosmetics. Yesterday, Esteé Lauder announced that Copeland is the new spokesmodel for its fragrance, Modern Muse. The name seems fitting, given how her journey to becoming American Ballet Theatre’s first black principal woman has inspired so many. She’ll front the fragrance’s campaign across digital, print, in-store and television advertisements.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=x1iF9V0nB1w

The dancer-as-brand-ambassador theme is catching on. Back in ballet’s glory days, Suzanne Farrell was the face of L’Air du Temps perfume, while Mikhail Baryshnikov attached his name to not one, but two colognes. After a prolonged dry spell, we’re happy to see dancers receiving mainstream visibility again as more companies book them to represent their brands. Here are just a few recent examples:

Last week, Tiffany & Co. named ABT principal David Hallberg as its latest spokesmodel—just a few months after he landed a Nike deal.

Meanwhile, his colleague, ABT corps member Courtney Lavine, represents Avon cosmetics, while Dutch National Ballet soloist Michaela DePrince has been gracing advertisements for Jockey.

Last year, BalletMet dancer Karen Wing starred in an ad for Limited jeans, while Houston Ballet’s Karina Gonzalez stole our hearts in this 2016 Honda commercial.

Our June/July cover girl, Ingrid SIlva, showed both athleticism and grace in this recent promo for Muscle Milk by Refinery29.

And don’t forget the gang at New York City Ballet—its dancers have been campaign stars for Cole Haan and Puma.

NYCB’s Lara Tong, Mimi Staker, Olivia Boisson, Unity Phelan and Rachel Hutsell. Photo via PUMA.