5 minute read
The Elegance of Amouage
The International Perfumer Makes a Statement with First U.S. Store
By Vilma Barr
Photos courtesy of Amouage
Amouage, the Omani International High Perfumery House, chose to open its first American flagship in America, not at an upscale Manhattan address, but at a three million sq.ft. complex twelve miles away in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at the American Dream Entertainment & Retail Center. With its objective of attracting customers from a 25-mile radius, a large availability of parking was a necessity.
Recognized as creating some of the most finely crafted perfumes in the world, Amouage was founded in the Sultanate of Oman in 1983. Amouage has grown to a global market of close to 100 countries around the world. Its international presence encompasses 14 standalone boutiques, including the recently opened flagships in the U.S., plus China, the UAE, Malaysia, and travel retail. The brand is carried by a selective network of approximately 1,000 department stores, specialty shops, perfumeries, and airport retailers.
Like any other retail operation, a key Amouage strategy is to express the quality of its extensive line of branded perfumes and scent-related items with the artistic décor of its stores. For its initial American retail presence, Amouage creative officer Renaud Salmon selected as their designer the Paris-based brand experience firm Héroïne, which had previously successfully interpreted the corporate signatures of such international luxury brands as Chanel and Cartier for their stores.
Héroïne immediately set out as its objective to grasp the Amouage corporate culture, the company’s history, and the distinctive appeal of the product to conceive a retail setting that would communicate the unique status of its perfumes. “Create a space where the brand's imagery is clear to visitors who are evaluating the product,” said Rémi Le Druillenec, cofounder and general director of Héroïne. “Amouage is a unique fusion of ‘East meets West’ that defines avant-garde opulence. It expresses the contemporary majesty of Oman, a historic trading center for incense and myrrh,” their website states.
Le Druillenec continued, “We've created a place where we take the visitor on a journey to the heart of the brand's inspirations. The architecture, the colors, materials, and the lighting are interpreted to present an extraordinary selling environment where each item is distinctive.”
Colors of the Sunset
Héroïne’s designers were influenced by the light of a summer day in the early evening when the landscape is transformed into a palette of warm lights, gradually stretching from intense brown to molten orange. The visual journey begins right from the façade. The expanse of the full-width transparent show window is framed in dark brown. A double arch design on the window indicates the store’s entrance.
On the right-hand side is a giant screen, which presents a seasonal program of digital art conceived by Amouage and serves as a background for live performances and events. It is part of Amouage's corporate arts project that includes presentations by several Omani and international artists. The company’s program also commissions and acquires original works of two- and three-dimensional art.
Under the screen is a double band of square decorative tiles. A built-in display case has an underlit opaque top for product display.
In the middle of the shop are two free standing elements. A black triangular display case is next to a beige circular pedestal-mounted unit, fitted with try-on samples of the scents. In addition to its extensive line of perfumes, including custom versions, Amouage also offers bath products, candles, and room scents.
On the left wall of the store is a 40-ft-long display of 135 bottles representing various Amouage scents, each in a separate curved-top, back-lit recessed display case. They are arranged in nine rows of 15 openings each, topped by a concealed light strip at the ceiling.
Overhead, running from front to back, are five light pockets containing frosted, 3000K Liger light tapes by Klus. The light tapes’ driver is constant voltage and 0-10V dimmable. Track fixtures by Jesco Lighting Group are 12W and 3000K, with a 40˚ beam angle. At the back wall is an arched display unit for a special attar display of fragrances that feature classic oils. LEDs accent the display.
Amouage has committed to sustainability objectives for responsible practices in the development and ethical sourcing and harvesting of natural ingredients. Initiatives include the preservation of frankincense trees at the UNESCO heritage Wadi Dawkah site and the establishing of the smart forest in the GCC region.
Amouage's strongest performing markets have remained Oman, the UAE, the USA, China, Malaysia, and travel retail, which together account for over 40 percent of total revenue. Amouage boutiques in 2023 recorded growth of 27 percent, fueled by strong client demand behind the rollout of the architectural concept with stand-alone, mono-brand luxury retail experiences across key geographies.
