PARIS — Chanel has opened its first House of Beauty, in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. It is the only location in the world where the French luxury brand consolidates its full beauty range and treatment offer under the same roof.
The three-story house spanning 1,940 square feet includes treatment rooms, where clients can experience Chanel’s La Fascia face and body protocols, which take a mind-body approach.
The house debuted after two years of renovation.
“Through its architecture, this house expresses the French spirit of Chanel, its singular and unique taste, with a desire to be part of a very French decorative arts vocabulary,” said Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, who heads creative resources for the brand’s perfumes, beauty, watches and jewelry activities, in a statement.
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Each decorative detail is in line with Chanel’s codes, such as its signature black and white colors, larger-than-life camelia motifs, wrought iron work spelling Chanel and emerald-cut shapes nodding to Chanel No.5’s cap.
“I have always thought that classicism — and Chanel is imbued with a classic aesthetic — is never opposed to the idea of modernity or contemporary,” du Pré de Saint Maur continued.
Trompe l’oeil elements are apparent throughout the building. The idea is to make it seem like Chanel beauty products had tumbled from the sky and lodged into parts of the house, in a surrealistic twist. The brand’s curved-yet-square makeup palette shape becomes the base where color cosmetics are presented. Hanging above that, face down, is a similar form lined with a mirror. It’s almost like one is viewing a giant’s open compact.
Also descending from the ceiling in a giant wire frame is a magnum No.5 bottle upside down and open. Caps from that and Egoïste Platinum morph into counters and consoles.
“It always seemed to me that our products are designed as architectural elements of beauty rather than decorative elements of beauty,” du Pré de Saint Maur said.
The stone floor is white, with black and gold lines crisscrossing. Some walls are black and suede-covered — like Chanel makeup holders themselves. Their gold line harks to the ring encircling the house’s lipsticks.
The 31 Le Rouge and Sublimage lines have their own alcoves. This is not a place of interactive digital screens, but rather there are photographs on the walls.
The ground floor has a themed product edit, currently focused on the end-of-year holiday season. Two makeup stations invite people to try out products without appointment necessary and free-of-charge. Small leather goods are available, too.
The white stairwell, for those forgoing the golden-hued elevator, ushers people upstairs.
On the first floor up fragrances — all 88 of them — take pride of place, along with their ancillaries. People can sample the scents, meet with perfume experts who will help with selections or take part in masterclasses. A digital tool, called La Rencontre, helps identify individual fragrance preferences. It is the first time Chanel is using it in-store.
This level has a room dedicated to makeup services and facial treatments hidden behind a wall lined with faceted mirrors resembling those on the stairwell connecting Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment and the 31 Rue Cambon boutique.
Chanel’s Vitality Scan is employed to understand skin’s needs, while protocols combine cryptotherapy, radiofrequency or microcurrents alongside Chanel treatment products. Chanel’s La Fascia method is used as well. (Fascia is the connective tissue surrounding a person’s muscles, organs and brain.)
The protocol was developed with Hélène Bourhis-Bois, a fascialtherapy expert, taking into account both body and mind. La Fascia de Chanel techniques entail slow, intense stretching of facial fascia with the aim of obtaining radiant, toned and vital skin, plus inner well-being.
Makeup services — lasting one and one-and-a-half hours — include a relaxing massage on hands and forearms. Makeup lessons are on offer.
Two treatment rooms are located on the third floor. People can wait for them in the gold-and-black lounge, where a Sublimage jar is transformed into a coffee table and the glass chandelier takes inspiration from Chanel lipstick tubes’ shape.
The entrance to the two treatment rooms — dubbed Gabrielle and Coco — is swathed in glittery black fabric, which serves as a foil to the white rooms beyond, reachable through doors with camellia-shaped handles. The flower’s giant silhouette appears on the ceiling, while beds have tweed throws by Maison Lesage, one of the Metier d’Arts experts owned by Chanel. Lighting and sound evolve depending on the treatment chosen. A shower is lined with more than 150,000 tiny hand-installed mosaic tiles.
The exclusive treatment menu at this House of Beauty lists the personalized body protocol L’Allure and Le Grand Soin, a made-to-measure body and face treatment, lasting between one and three hours. Chanel’s other signature treatments and massages can be given, too.
Beyond the House of Beauty, upcoming for the brand is a new book celebrating its centenary in color cosmetics. “Chanel: The Allure of Makeup” was written by Natasha Fraser and published by Thames & Hudson. It comes out starting Dec. 5.
