Shu Uemura unveiled recently its long-awaited makeup collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, entitled "Mon Shu Girl" (My Darling) headlined by a Japanese manga-inspired character created by the fashion legend to represent his image for the collection. Mon Shu sports a distinctly Asian blunt bob and has tiny red lips and big, red eyes—mysterious rather than sinister, according to her creator—and is dressed in Lagerfeld’s likeness: white shirt and a black tie.

Lagerfeld has had a longtime affinity with the Japanese makeup brand. He said in promotional interviews that he began buying Shu Uemura eye shadows some 20 years ago. He uses the palette like he would use pastel crayons to color his sketches and designs. "I have never found this quality of pigment anywhere else," Lagerfeld said. "I have used many other big brands, but Shu Uemura’s are very refined and so fresh. I love this black that gives depth to my designs, and the red is very passionate. I use this red to make up the models in my designs and create the silhouette. In Japan the reds are always really vivid."

Lagerfeld met Shu Uemura in 2006, a year before the brand’s founder died. "I really liked his pioneer spirit and the sparkling energy in his eyes," Lagerfeld said. "I do feel that everyone has to invent his/her own thing, and I think Mr. Uemura created something that no one else could."

Lagerfeld himself shot the campaign, on which he collaborated with Kakuyasu Uchiide, international artistic director of Shu Uemura.

Karl for Shu consists of two eye and cheek palettes, the stars of this collaboration; three lip colors, three nail colors with stickers, a painting liner, false eyelashes, lash curler, mini brush set and a premium mini makeup box. All products in this limited collection bear the likeness of Mon Shu Girl.