In Pursuit of Glamour - Design Bureau

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In Pursuit of Glamour

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Photos by Paul Warchol 

Featured Company: Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects

Location: New York, NY

Project Type: Store

Project Name: Marc Jacobs Beauty

Bold. Polished. Striking. So describes the azure-eyed model whose photo adorns the wall of Marc Jacobs Beauty—and the store itself. Equal parts luxury and restraint, the flagship location in Manhattan gleams from every angle.

Longtime Marc Jacobs collaborator Jaklitsch / Gardner Architects maximized the West Village real estate in the 425-square-foot corner storefront. The firm has developed Marc Jacobs retail identities across the globe for 15 years, but this posed a new challenge: creating an identity for the designer’s first freestanding cosmetics store while maintaining the Marc Jacobs look. “The design offers a continuation of the brand’s existing visual presence,” says principal Stephan Jaklitsch, “while offering an identity that clearly differentiates this new venture.”

A black granite table with a hand-carved, scalloped edge anchors the space—a bold statement atop a white thassos floor. But it’s not just a statement piece. The pedestal offers structural support, and it conceals electrical and communication lines needed for the point-of-sale system. Built-in compartments hide the makeup artists’ tools and keep the tabletop clean and unadorned. Custom beauty stools and a chandelier by Kacper Dolatowski complete the room.

The products themselves add a splash of color, displayed in gleaming glass and metal around the location’s perimeter. Nothing else clutters the store, giving the compact space room to breathe. As Jaklitsch explains, it “creates a simple, clean aesthetic and a grand theatrical gesture.” That aesthetic is already proving a success: the concept developed by Jaklitsch / Gardner will be integrated into nearly a dozen existing Marc Jacobs locations.

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