Collective B, a brand and commercial design consultancy located in Seoul, Republic of Korea, has given a new beauty brand, Villa de Mûrir, its first physical store.
Collective B describes Villa de Mûrir as a ‘beauty curation brand’ and a ‘beauty pairing community’ which in this case means, for example, that the store sells Mûrir’s own branded products as well as select other beauty brands and provides a dedicated space for social media content creation.
Collective B was in charge of the naming, all of the branding work, packaging, as well as the interior design of the store.
The name is based on the French verb mûrir that means to ripen, mature or mellow.
The store is located in the trendy, upscale Garosu-gil-street area, where local boutiques and brands are now competing with international comers, including Maison Kitsune, Aesop as well as Apple’s first South-Korean store that opened this January.
But Garosu-gil is not a traditional high street but its trendier, artsier cousin. Collective B’s Korean client, The Cell Company backed by Chinese investments, wanted this first location to differentiate the brand from traditional high-street beauty brands, yet be in proximity to similar, more boutique-y brands.
Villa de Mûrir occupies an entire low-rise building completely renovated for this purpose. The concept covers nearly 351 square metres (3,337 sq. ft) inside on two floors, and 210 sq. metres (2,260 sq. ft) outside.
At first glance, the interior is open, curvy and very pink. In fact the pink colour is a bit much for our taste, but we do love the outside. The pastel-hued archway and soft lighting are inviting and create a feel of entering something different and new.
The pink most likely appeals to the target audience, however. Squarely aimed at Korean social media savvy female millennials, the store is divided into four distinct areas. On the ground floor are the Beauty Shop, where Mûrir’s own beauty products as well as other select beauty brands are sold, and the Open Studio, a production studio for YouTube and social media content creators.
On the second level are the Makeup Shop that offers five makeup treatments developed for the brand and the Café.
The future expansion of the Mûrir brand is expected to include taking the concept to other Asian and international markets and including other beauty, wellness, lifestyle and hospitality components. Tuija Seipell.
Location 21 Dosandae-ro 11gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
