Chantecaille has had conservation at the heart of its mission from the very beginning. Since its inception in 1997, the company was clear about its strict clean and botanical formulation ethos and its cruelty free policy. In 2006, after founder Sylvie Chantecaille noticed that the annual migration of Monarch butterflies to her East Hampton garden had drastically dwindled disturbed by the impact of the climate crisis, she decided to use her brand as a platform for change.
Since, the house has created 34 philanthropy collections, three of them permanent, and donated more than $3 million to causes spanning coral reefs, gorillas, wolves, elephants and other threatened species. In 2022, Sylvie and Olivier Chantecaille also established the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation to protect wild spaces and the keystone species that depend on them. The Lion Collection therefore arrives as the latest chapter in a long-running programme of paying it forward.
Visually, the Fall 2026 collection is handsome and very grown-up. Sepia lion portraits sit against khaki-gold packaging, while the colour story takes its cue from the warm tones of the savannah. A chromatic choice that seems especially well judged for late summer moving into early autumn, when warmer browns and deep berry shades begin to feel relevant again.
Warm rose, burgundy and cinnamon tones create a softly defined look, with luminous eyes, a natural flush and a glossy, earthy lip. The effect is rich without feeling heavy, balancing colour with plenty of light. The entire collection is vegan and gluten-free.
The charitable partner is Lion Guardians, founded in Kenya in 2006 to help pastoralist communities and lions coexist. Its model recruits and trains local Maasai and other pastoralist warriors to monitor lions, reduce conflict and protect both wildlife and livestock. Chantecaille’s funding will support practical field technology, including identification cameras, thermal drones, phones, solar chargers and vehicle costs. That matters: Lion Guardians reports that its model has helped reduce lion killing by more than 90 per cent and supported a major recovery in the Amboseli ecosystem.
The result is a collection with real visual coherence and a purpose that reaches far beyond the dressing table.
Chantecaille The Lion Collection supporting Lion Guardians launches exclusively at Space NK on 3 August, at Chantecaille‘s website on 4 August and at stockists nationwide on 17 September.
Author: Julia Pasarón
Show Comments +