The Franco-Japanese brand EN has opened its first physical store in Paris. EN cosmetic boutique is designed by Archiee, a Paris-based creative studio founded by Yusuke Kinoshita and Daisuke Sekine.
The Japanese phoneme “en”, chosen as the name of the brand, holds several meanings in Japanese. In fact, not only it means “Beauty” but also “Circle” and “Connection”. It is this triple meaning that inspired the design concept of the cosmetic boutique.
In line with the circle trend we have mentioned here before, all of the partitions are composed in circular forms to create soft rounded internal spaces, which are suitable for private uses such as counseling, treatment, massage and essence blending. This partitions create a harmonious dialogue with the existing structural elements of the 18th century building where EN cosmetic boutique is located.
Ph: David Foessel
The space cut off by the circle partitions connects all the required functions. Following the designers: “This remaining space between the existing walls and the integrated circle partitions creates a geometrically curious form and an original circulation with an aesthetically experience”. The customer cannot get into each service rooms directly, but must walk along a winding path toward the destination. This method, that let the visitors walk along and enhance their expectation, is typical of the Japanese hospitality, such as in the traditional tea culture.
While the internal surfaces of the circle spaces are finished in white to express the sense of a pure space, the external surfaces present a polished brass finishing. The choice lies in the designers’ desire for the customers to experience a distorted and warm reflection of the space and, therefore, feeling like they step into an elegant and extraordinary world.
In order to give clients the most beautiful skincare experience possible today, EN sells around 100 types of cosmetic essence products that can be customized to create an original formula for each person. For this reason, it was adamant for the brand to be able to exhibit the whole range. Archiee chose to refer here to the method of storage of French wineries. For this reason, each essence bottle is displayed separately with special lighting. Also, the boxes for storage, which were made with Japanese paulownia wood, are also stacked and displayed to create a cellar atmosphere.
The elegant and refined aura of the new EN cosmetic boutique by Archiee reminds of Forte Forte retail spaces, imbued of art and femininity as much as an exquisite consumer experience.
