design:retail - March 2018 - 67

067

← A new pink door
on the side creates
social media
opportunities
for shoppers
and tourists.

amous for its flamboyant pinkroofed, Barbie-style store, South
Korean cosmetic label Etude
House previously conveyed a more
traditional "princess" image with its design and brand. But it was time to grow
up. Part of Asian beauty conglomerate
Amore Pacific, Etude House teamed up with
London-based design agency Dalziel & Pow
to transform the flagship outlet and reflect its new
brand positioning as it transitioned its brand ethos from girly to
girl power.
Unveiled last May, the Myeong-dong flagship store in Seoul has
been repositioned as an interactive beauty destination-dubbed
the House of Color Play-where customers can be creative with
cosmetics. The aim is to portray a sophisticated, confident attitude while staying true to the brand's established playful spirit,
expressing an evolved and refreshed "Sweet Dream" philosophy.
The flagship store now offers a brand experience over three
floors. The enhancements include digital interactions, a revamped
store façade and a cohesive brand identity for Etude House.
However, amid the brand refresh, Dalziel & Pow (working
in tandem with the in-house team) was also keen to retain the
best-loved features of the original store, notably the roof. Richard
Marking, design project leader interiors, Dalziel & Pow, stresses

↑ The Personal
Color Studio
helps shoppers
find the most
suitable shades.

that the pink roof is an iconic landmark and a popular spot for
visitors to take photographs, while the brand and store also have
an enthusiastic Chinese tourist following.
As a result, the roof survived the revamp. "The progression was
to keep the same spirit, but be a little more grown up," Marking
says. "The architecture of the building is based on the Georgian
period, something unusual for South Korea and which provides
European elegance rather than flamboyance. We have also opened
up the doorways, especially the main entrance, enabling passersby
to see into the new interior and the changes that have been made."
Beyond the refreshed façade are the contemporary interiors
that help to define and reset the retailer's more mature outlook.
A more open entrance deliberately offers a glimpse of the mezzanine level to emphasize its presence. A layered approach was
devised for the design: essential touchpoints reflect the core store
offer for target customers, while signature touchpoints have been
designed to elevate the Etude House experience for shoppers.
Filled with color, the store has the deliberate feel of a real
home, echoing the more understated approach to the refreshed
exterior, with high ceilings, wooden flooring and a blend of classic and modern fixture details. "For example, we didn't want to
stick Georgian legs on all the tables," recalls Myree Tydings, design project leader, graphics, at Dalziel & Pow. "So rather than
becoming a pastiche, instead we embraced the juxtaposition of
classic interiors and contemporary components."

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