Just in time for New York Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton is inviting the public to step through a portal into the world of La Beauté Louis Vuitton – their first foray into luxury beauty.
From now until the end of the year, NYC’s 104 Prince Street is the home of Louis Vuitton’s new immersive pop-up experience, a luxurious and visually striking space set up in celebration of the launch of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, their new makeup collection headed by Dame Pat McGrath as their Cosmetics Creative Director.
The expansive collection, containing 55 LV Rouge lipsticks, 10 LV Baume lip balms and 8 LV Ombres eyeshadow palettes, has already received positive reviews online, though it has been on sale for less than a week. Retailing for $160, each lipstick is refillable and available to try on virtually via the Louis Vuitton website.
Over the last 10 years, we have seen everyone from celebrities and influencers to luxury brands taking steps into the ever expanding beauty market. Earlier this year, Celine even debuted their first ever lipstick line. But, unlike its competing houses such as Dior and Chanel, Louis Vuitton seems to have been biding its time for the release of a beauty collection like this one, likely waiting for something special to kick it off. That special touch has come in the form of their Cosmetic Creative Director McGrath, the make-up visionary behind some of beauty’s most iconic and influential looks, from runway to editorial.
For those looking for a more in-depth look at the luxurious new line, their pop-up experience gives a hands-on tour of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, allowing its visitors a unique and personalized view into each of the products available in the collection.
Designed to immerse you in their world of makeup, the pop-up entryway guides you through a curved, monogrammed passageway, lit with around 50 digital screens, into the heart of the pop-up – a make-up station shaped like Louis Vuitton’s signature flower. The entire space is adorned in sexy red shades and lacquered surfaces, giving the feeling that you have stepped straight into one of their palettes.
With three different rooms, each individually designed to personalize your experience, the space succeeds in creating a tailored shopping experience that is increasingly rare in our digital world.
In the ‘Virtual Try-On Room’ the walls are lined with futuristic mirrored orbs that invite guests to experiment with the collection using Augmented Reality visuals, so you can see what each shade and product would look like on their own skin.
For those looking for more tailored advice, the ‘Make-up Consultation Room’ allows guests access to Louis Vuitton’s very own expert beauty stylists, there to assist in finding the perfect shade and tone for any complexion. Additionally, in ‘The Look Room’ guests can complete a playful survey to reveal a curated list of styles and shades.
Their 360° screen room is where visitors can learn in-depth ideas behind 10 of their key shades through a combination of intricate ephemeral visuals and informative yet calming audio storytelling.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Louis Vuitton venture without tribute to their historic heritage. The balms, lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes are all cased in classic, monogrammed packaging that you couldn’t be blamed for wanting to keep forever. Alongside the make-up collection is an array of beauty accessories from brushes to make-up storage – like the new Beauty Station Trunk, an original concept by La Beauté Louis Vuitton’s Cosmetic Creative Director McGrath that emulates the classic design of the Louis Vuitton travel trunk.
La Beauté Louis Vuitton is available also online and in stores across the world’s major cities. For those in New York, you can experience the pop-up yourself until the end of the year.
All imagery courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
