The fruits of Zaha Hadid Architects’ labour might be typically experienced on a grandiose scale, but in New York, the firm’s design for a travelling retail pop-up is packing just as big of a punch. Il Makiage, a new make-up label, made its global debut last week with the opening of its first physical presence in Manhattan’s Soho district. Armed with a bold typeface and a striking black and white palette, Il Makiage’s graphic identity served as an easy jumping off point for the architectural office to design a nomadic pavilion to match.
Configured out of ribbon-like strips of black and white, the pavilion’s parametric design exudes a seductive rhythm that mirrors the ethos of the brand. Splices in the structure that allow glimpses of the exterior from within (and vice versa) also bring a unique tension to the space. Made from fiberglass reinforced plastic, the structure is comprised of contrasting glossy and matt surfaces – another reference to the label’s packaging design – that merge together, interlaced.
Blusher, by Il Makiage
‘We were really inspired by the icons of the brand and the packaging, which uses a black and white motif and wraps around the corner [of the boxes] that I thought it was very architectural,’ says Kar-Hwa Ho, the firm’s head of interior architecture. ‘We took those codes and developed this structure for the pavilion.’
To echo the intimacy of putting on make-up, the self-contained structure ensures that the focus is placed on the products and each customer’s personal interaction with Il Makiage’s wares. ‘It’s almost like a carapace, a skeleton that protects you and gives you that kind of intimacy,’ reflects Ho.
The dynamic setting is a well-matched backdrop for Il Makiage’s arsenal of offerings. Five years in the making, with an extensive 800 piece collection that includes a suite of make-up brushes and 50 shades of foundation, along with lip colours, eyeshadows, blush, bronzers, masacaras and more, Il Makiage boasts high performance formulas that have all been developed in-house in Israel. It not only embraces a maximalist attitude but also prides itself on raising the bar for luxury make-up. Rigorously tested with a troupe of professional make-up artists before launching to the public, it’s no surprise that the products are speedily winning fans.
Il Makiage’s mobile pavilion will be in Soho for the next six months, with a second pavilion opening in Manhattan’s Flatiron area slated for mid-summer.
The Il Makiage collection
Il Makiage, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, New York City
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Il Makiage website
ADDRESS
490 Broadway
New York City, New York
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