US premium skincare brand Kiehl's, a subsidiary of L'Oreal, has opened a new outlet in France. The 55m2 boutique is in Paris, at 55 rue du Faubourg St Antoine in the city's Bastille district. This is the brand's 13th French boutique, and it also has six points of sale in other French outlets.
The interior of the shop is designed to look rustic and edgy, with raw brick walls, marble surfaces and wooden shelves. The products themselves are housed in dark grey mesh cages.
Skincare technicians throughout the store are available to help buyers select the correct products for their skin type.
The company marked the opening of the shop with a celebrity party attended by luminaries such as Jane Birkin, accessories designer Jerôme Dreyfuss, Kenzo and jewellery designer Yazbukey – and it also saw the launch of a new project, Mr Bones, on behalf of children's charity Enfance et Partage.
Numerous copies of Mr Bones – a skeleton – have been designed by leading French figures such as actresses Marina Fois and Julie Depardieu and comedian Ariel Wizman. They will be on display in the store until the end of February, when they will be auctioned for Enfance et Partage. Meanwhile, miniature paper doll versions of Mr Bones, costing €5, are available in-store in a limited edition of 10,000.
Kiehl's began with one pharmacy in New York and remained in private hands until L'Oreal bought it in 2000 with the aim of expanding it internationally. It has since more than quadrupled in turnover.