Flagship Illamasqua store to open in Soho
Flagship Illamasqua store to open in Soho
Author : Jonathan Charles
Date : Monday, 16 August 2010
Illamasqua, the cult British beauty brand, is to open a 150 square metre store in Soho, London, its first stand-alone outlet. The store, which opens in the autumn, will also house the brand's School of Make-up Art and will also feature a rotating exhibition area to display limited edition pieces for sale in support of Illamasqua’s affiliated charity The Sophie Lancaster Foundation*.
Light fantasies and signage together with sculptures by Creative Director Alex Box will be displayed in the gallery style windows. The opening, just 22 months after Illamasqua’s UK launch at Selfridges in November 2008, will provide the best opportunity yet for Illamasqua to clearly demonstrate its position as a vibrant and professional make-up brand.“This has been our ultimate aim since launching at the end of 2008, and I’m so glad we’ve achieved it so soon,” says Julian Kynaston, Illamasqua’s founder. “The School of Make-up Art is part of our ongoing commitment to bring truly professional night-time make-up to anyone who wants to self-express. We’re the only brand on the high street to do that, of which I’m incredibly proud.”
Joe Corre who invested in the brand following his departure from Agent Provocateur - the brand he and Serena Rees created - says: “Working with Illamasqua has felt like an adrenalin rush injection into the industry and this flagship store project is going to be orgasmic. It is a fantastically creative company looking at beauty through a completely new lens. I just love it.”
The store’s makeup courses have been developed by their creator Illamasqua’s David Horne with the makeup artist known as Spob. They cover the professional spectrum from the brand’s foundation courses to transformation courses for stage, film and HD TV. The school will become “a focal point for education and experimentation” and continues David Horne: “A creative haven, a makeup Mecca where any expression with makeup is possible, likely, or just a pot or pan away from grasp. A mirage of colour in central London where we invite you to play and stay a while or learn, express or delve into your creativity and knowledge. The short courses we offer build an expressive platform to perfect makeup artistry principles; learn additional professional techniques and master more proficient make-up skills with confidence. It is truly exciting that as a British cosmetic brand we can bring our fountain of colour and knowledge to make our mark of difference to the heart of central London.”
*The Sophie Lancaster Foundation works to fight prejudice by helping create respect and understanding of subcultures in our communities
Caption: Illamasqua launched in Selfridges Oxford Street in November 2008
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