Store Design — Skyline Plaza, Europa-Allee 6, 60327 Frankfurt, Germany — 76 m² — 2013 — être belle Cosmetics Vertrieb GmbH
The adorned truth
For more than 30 years, être belle has stood for quality products in facial and body care, makeup and spa items. With a new store in the heart of Frankfurt's Europaviertel [European quarter], the firm has celebrated its retail premiere, assisted by blocher shops. The store, with about 80 square metres on the first aboveground floor in the Skyline Plaza, is divided into sections offering either makeup or body care products. This complementary duality is reflected in the design concept, starting with the entrance itself: an anthracite-grey mat gives contour to the spacious storefront, which rises on one side with a gentle curve only to branch off and turn downward at a sharp right angle. The contrast of opposites carries through to the interior: Starkly geometric walls give way to dynamic curves; dark and light areas alternate just as swiftly; square and round shapes complement one another in charming irregularity.
To the left, backlit, close-up images with the words "lips", "eyes" and "colour" signal the entrance to the makeup department. Projected against a dark background, images of female beauty hint at the rewards for investment in oneself. Light oak parquet floors and muted colours including anthracite, grey and white draw attention to the testers on display. Delicate furnishings are grouped in altar-like configurations throughout the sales floor, atmospherically decorated with specials and notable products (Visual Merchandising: blocher partners). Also in the make-up department, decorative attachment lights illuminate the dressing table with theatre mirror, acrylic display cubes and a stepped display, while recessed ceiling spotlights create an overall lighting effect.
Sensual pleasure
The right side of the store belongs to body care. In comparison to the somewhat more "flashy" makeup department, this department's interior design has other priorities – expressed through delicate, powdery tones, sleekly simple furniture and subtle shelving for cleansers, tonics and creams. The presentation follows the order in which products are applied. Cleverly, the cabinets follow the course of a conch shell, a semi-circular niche. A private area for customer care as well as spa treatments plus relaxation zone is situated between the display and checkout area, harmoniously integrated and protected from the general view by a floor-length, light-coloured curtain. The body care department remains true to the principle of exciting contrast: The monochrome ceiling with strategically aimed spot lighting breaks up a circular depression; the play of light and shadow literally crowns the new store concept. An exclusive, sensual pleasure.
