A new beauty hall has opened inside the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York, 40 per cent larger than the space it replaces.

Perhaps the most surprising feature is that it moves from the ground floor – the typical bastion of beauty halls in department stores all over the world – up one level.

Taking up 32,000sqft it is home to more than 120 cosmetics, skincare, fragrance and wellness brands, 58 of them new to the venue.

There are 15 new spa rooms offering services such as facials, massages, manicures, brow services – and even a florist.

Saks Fifth Avenue says moving the beauty department to the second floor, represents an evolution in the way customers shop and experience beauty.

“As part of Saks’ overall growth strategy, we continue to look for ways to innovate, create and disrupt,” said Marc Metrick, president, Saks Fifth Avenue.

“The bold decision to move beauty to the second floor … enabled us to create the epitome of an experiential beauty floor.

“We continue to apply the principles of what we call The New Luxury to everything we do. What we’ve done with beauty gives the customer a warmer environment, differentiated from what they can get anywhere else and creates a reason to come to Saks and experience our brand,” he said

Tracy Margolies, chief merchant at Saks Fifth Avenue, said the retailer curated the floor to represent the best innovations in beauty and wellness in a truly specialised space.

“By offering beauty and wellness workshops and panels, Saks is taking a holistic approach to make our clients feel great both inside and out.”

Grand Renovation

The relocation and expansion of the beauty hall represents the latest chapter in what the company is calling the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship’s “Grand Renovation”.

The space was opened up to create broad sightlines across the floor and modernise traditional finishes that complement the brand’s heritage.

Custom agglomerate white stone flooring was imported from Italy and the building’s original windows facing Fifth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street, were restored, allowing natural light to flood into the floor as well as offering north- and south-facing views of the city.

Highlights of the new beauty hall include:

• FaceGym, an original non-invasive facial workout, exclusive to Saks and the first shop in the US.
• Dedicated spa rooms for Chanel, Cle de Peau Beaute, Dior, Kiehl’s Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Martine de Richeville, Skinney MedSpa and Sisley Paris.
• Brow and lash styling by Blink Brow Bar London.
• CoolSculpting and laser hair removal by Skinney MedSpa and manicures and meditation by Sundays.
• Martine de Richeville’s slimming, deep-tissue massage, Remodelage, – a Saks exclusive and the brand’s first space in the US.
• Hand-tied floral arrangements by EB Florals, revolving around the composition of the fragrances and their seasonal availability.

There are anchor shops from Aesop, Chanel, Christian Louboutin Beaute, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Gucci, Kiehl’s Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Sisley Paris, and Tom Ford.

Saks New York will host beauty and wellness events in a 850sqft flexible event space, which will also host master classes, public appearances, small private gatherings and visual installations.

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