Commercial Real Estate & Advisory

Glossier Unveils a Fabulous New Brick-and-Mortar Space

By Hadley Keller | November 29, 2017

In its meteoric rise to cult fandom, beauty brand Glossier may have its already iconic branding to thank as much as its products themselves. Since its founding in 2014, the brand’s clean, graphic, no-nonsense packaging has made it a favorite of everyone from beauty bloggers to makeup-averse skin-care fanatics of the more practical variety. Today the company, which operates a showroom on the penthouse of its New York headquarters, made its latest foray into brick-and-mortar territory with the launch of a concept shop that blows out the brand’s subtle vibe into a fabulous, lush store space.

Opened in timing with the company’s debut fragrance, Glossier You, the space is—in the fashion of today’s brand-conscious e-commerce companies—not only a store but an “offline experience.” This one, though, is truly experiential. Lush pink carpets with pops of magenta furniture and interactive mirror displays make it feel like something of a hybrid of a modern boudoir and a high-fashion funhouse.

“I was really inspired by theater, performance art, and magic shows when concepting the space,” explains founder Emily Weiss. “Everything about the experience is unique, from the way the customers physically interact with the fragrance to how the editors talk to the customers. We’re excited to be bringing Glossier You to life offline in a totally weird and unexpectedly luxurious way.”

The space, which sits at 123 Lafayette Street, on the ground floor level of Glossier’s SoHo headquarters, was designed by Max Zinser and Kate McCollough, who have designed shops for the likes of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Nike, and MAC. It’s already proven irresistible Instagram fodder for the bevy of beauty enthusiasts who visited the opening—Yayoi Kusama might just have some competition.