Rei Kawakubo Designs a Beauty Store
Beauty

Rei Kawakubo Designs a Beauty Store

"Not a normal beauty counter," Adrian Joffe, husband to Rei Kawakubo and president of Comme des Garcons told WWDJoffe is talking about the new beauty outpost of Dover Street Market in Paris.

Unlike the original establishment that is dedicated to fashion, Dover Street Parfums Market focuses exclusively on beauty and will include a curated selection of both mainstream and ultra niche cosmetics, skincare, makeup, and hair care brands.

Kawakubo has taken on the role of the designer of the exclusive space that features minimalist white walls and egg-shaped voids crafted out of the pillars. For now, it houses a range of independent, heritage, sustainable and organic beauty labels. The brand itself further describes the store as "an explosion of scents, sounds, and textures, from Amazonian oils and charcoal toothpaste to nonbinary essences and magnesium flakes for the bath."

Visitors can expect to see brands like Gucci, Alchemist's Garden, Försvarets Hudsalva, Aer, Manic Panic, a wig exhibition by hair artist Julien d'Ys, Thom Browne fragrances, and an exclusive Byredo space designed by Byredo.

"Rei, she encourages me to do things that other people might not think of," Joffe said. "We're always looking for that new way to get out of preconceived ideas of what is beautiful. The beauty industry is quite conservative."

"I think it's more interesting for the customer to make architecture that requires them to think and allows them to discover things for themselves," added Kawakubo "The idea behind the pillars is that you can't see everything at once, and you have to make your own journey of exploration."

As for expanding the outpost to other locations, Joffe said he's still thinking about it and might consider "a mini Dover Street Parfums Market within Dover Street with this concept."

Photo via Instagram

Fashion

Coolest Person in the Room: Jacques Agbobly

Story by Andrew Nguyen / Photography by Diego Villagra Motta