WHAT'S THE STORY
b e tt e r s e lf
DISCOURSE
THE BEAUTIFUL BUSINESS
The idea of combining fashion and beauty isn’t new. Department stores still make an excellent living from their beauty sections. Independent fashion retailers have, however, picked up on the scent too. Niche brands, especially from the clean beauty and wellness segment, are replacing interchangeable mass products. The advantages are obvious. Is it a win-win situation? style in progress went in search of answers. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold, Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Interviewees
Muse & Heroine has opened its showrooms in Milan and Paris in cooperation with Brama. Customers can experience the entire range, catering by Wild & The Moon, and a Be Vivid water bar.
THIS IS THE CHANCE Janine Knizia, Owner of Muse & Heroine
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style in progress
The idea of generating traffic with carefully selected beauty items and refreshing one’s product range isn’t really new. The best European department stores and online shops understood this principle a long time ago. The fact that owner-managed retailers are now also cottoning on to this trend is, in my opinion, easy enough to explain. For many end customers, fashion is no longer as meaningful as it used to be. We are all staring into packed wardrobes and the enthusiasm for new things has dropped. On the other hand, looking after oneself is experiencing a real boom: healthy nutrition, dietary supplements, beauty products, and treatments. The classic cosmetics trade is, however, not the place to go. Customers are eager to discover exciting brands in a new environment. As a full-service sales agency, we can offer competence in this area. The success is overwhelming. Visualising the Muse & Heroine range in the Paris showroom, as well as presenting it in a harmonious setting featuring a beVivid Waterbar and Wild & The Moon Organic Catering, impressed many customers. People were complimenting us by saying things like ‘This is like a zen oasis!’ and ‘Finally something new!’. The best thing is that the concept is so incredibly easy to implement. With minimal risk and full support from Muse & Heroine, retailers can add this competence field to their respective stores: beautiful and meaningful products without discounts, with minimal capital investment, and permanent re-order option. This allows retailers to offer their customers a completely new angle. The benefit is obvious: beauty customers return at shorter intervals then normal fashion customers. Naturally, it’s imperative that all employees become involved. Especially niche and clean beauty products have such great background stories. The stories are the more successful the more enthusiastically they are told.”
