Midnight Rendezvous
A sensory retail experience after dark
Retail Design | Sensory Immersion | Brand Experiences | Pop Up Spaces
Estée Lauder Companies partnered with UAL and MA Narrative Environments, looking to transform retail experiences in their brick and mortar shops across the world. In collaboration with two of my peers, we were commissioned with the research, ideation and delivery of a narrative driven concept for a new store based in New York.
Inspired by the intrigue, cultural impact and resilience of New York Speakeasies, we proposed a secret pop- up - a ‘beauty bar’, open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at any of their existing stores or in collaboration with an existing speakeasy.
The pop up would tease a curation of soon-to- be-launched beauty products introduced to visitors in the format of a wine- tasting experience. Each curation on the ‘menu’ would include a range of mystery products experienced via the senses, paired with a themed drink.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF BEAUTY EXPERIENCES IN BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES ?
Research, Ideation and Concept
What if a retail space transformed after hours?
Basing our research on experiences outside the beauty industry, informed our ideation and concept process. We looked to the food and beverage industry based in New York. From restaurants hidden behind paintings, to speakeasy culture from the 1920s, we
looked to the rich history and current landscape to define the new experience. One of my responsibilities in the group was to visualise our creative discussions around the concepts.
A transformative experience of perfume inspired by speakeasies
Multi- sensory experience inspired by the dessert paintings at Alinea, Chicago
Combining two out of three ideas after the second client meeting led us to the final concept
And the story goes...
Storyboards were a large part of our creative process determining the various spatial, F&B, service, transaction elements required for each section of the experience. This helped keep the strategy flexible enough to accommodate changing site or scale in the future.
Well, what would the space look like?
