Just when you thought Burberry’s Christopher Bailey couldn’t get any more advanced (after all, this is a man who controlled the weather at London Fashion Week), he has opened up the brand’s first global beauty store in London’s market haven, Covent Garden, with an aim to soften the boundaries of physical and digital space.
Launching at the opportune moment to provide last-minute luxury Christmas gifts wrapped in exclusive Burberry packaging, the store focuses its attention on the style of the Burberry woman, catering to everything from beauty and limited-edition products to an exclusive selection of handbags for those going in for a little more than lipstick.
However, even the swiftest of shoppers may have their attention diverted by a 16 ft. ‘Digital Chandelier’ glowing with images of the latest eyeshadow palettes and blush hues on high definition screens. The one-to-one appointments with stylists and fragrance discovery consultations are based on the catwalk collections themselves, and will certainly help you part with a few pounds inside the golden beauty paradise.
Bailey sees the multi-dimensional store as a place that “brings together our fashion and beauty worlds, merging physical and digital experiences.” With a till-free environment where the staff takes payment over iPad and iPhone, Burberry has taken the step into a new shopping generation where browsing turns into shopping with the same ease as an online shop.
