Sephora announces the opening of its newest store at 21-27 Ninth Avenue in New York City’s famed Meatpacking District on Friday, September 16th, 2011. Sephora has leveraged the Meatpacking District’s legacy as an epicenter of art and creativity to establish one of the most modern and transformative beauty shopping experiences anywhere in the world, incorporating innovative design, state-of-the-art services and exclusive brands for its 16th Manhattan location.

“Our new Meatpacking District store represents the pinnacle of Sephora store design. When developing the plan, we made a conscious decision to intertwine art, music and technology as a way to celebrate the area’s distinct artistic heritage and ‘urban cool’ environment,” said Paul Loux, Vice President of Design at Sephora. “We’ve worked closely with the Meatpacking District Improvement Association to achieve our goals and look forward to continuing our positive relationship with the community.”

Among the many unique features Sephora has incorporated into its Meatpacking District location are:

A Unique Footprint

Located on the corner of W.13th Street and Ninth Avenue, Sephora occupies a building that typifies the area’s iconic architecture, with an interior that features sleek, modern design. Updated fixtures and an open, flowing layout allow for easy navigation of key product areas, including skincare, nail, fragrance and color, as well as the Sephora Collection 2.0 display which features a vibrant wall of color, a unique fixture dedicated solely to brushes and complexion stations to simplify finding the perfect foundation.

21st Century Shopping Services

The Meatpacking District location will be the first Sephora in the nation to feature a completely Mobile Checkout experience for faster and easier purchasing. In addition, in-store iPads will allow clients to quickly access product information, ratings and reviews and QR codes for any item in the store.

A Destination for Beauty Education

Sephora’s Meatpacking District store features the Beauty Art Studio, the destination for mastering any new beauty look. Each station features ultra-modern glass, chrome and black fixtures with LED screens and enhanced lighting for a luxurious experience. Select one of the complimentary Express Services, or a Customized Makeup Application, where the session is tailored to your personal beauty needs and the cost is redeemable in product. Services to choose from include: Blush & Bronze, Flawless Foundation, Treat & Conceal, Beautiful Skin, Smoky Eye and Faux Lash Express Services and Specialized Services such as Prom, Bridal and Evening.

Exclusive Access to Global Beauty

Sephora scours the world looking for the items global beauties can’t live without. For the Meatpacking District location only, they’ve hand-selected the most buzzed about and coveted brands and products, including 21 Drops, Ellis Faas, Giorgio Armani and Koh Gen Do cosmetics, Sponge Avocado Oil (Greece), Sentara Crème du tout temps (France), Tatcha Blotting Papers (Japan), Absolution Eye Cream (France), Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm (Hungary), Belmacz Gold Leaf Lip Balm (UK), Phillip Martins Maple Wash and Rinse (Italy), Paul Yacomine Intensive Repair Kit (UK).

Sephora Carries Art Throughout the Retail Experience

Inside Sephora Meatpacking you will discover “Flamenco Tornado,” a custom work by New York based installation artist and sculptor, E.V. Day. The large scale piece, the first commissioned in a series by Sephora, explores overt female power, sexuality, passion and energy. Using the artist’s signature suspension techniques, the piece uses an original flamenco dress donated to the artist, which is distorted to capture the raw energy of a tornado, suggesting a woman’s transformative movement and power. Going forward, Sephora will incorporate original artwork from a series of contemporary artists into a designated gallery space within the store.

Sephora Comes to Life Outside Its Doors

Sephora commissioned artists David Ellis, Maya Hayuk, SASU and Yuri Shimojo to create a visual feast that acts as a mural and barricade. Titled “Transforming Beauty,” the work evokes beauty’s transformative powers through flowing leis that change right before your eyes. The leis incorporate dramatic color and raw materials including vibrant feathers, minerals, fruits, and flowers. The illusion of movement and depth was crafted in a 10’ x 100’ lenticular format, by interlacing 10 frames of animation. Overlaid is a multidimensional script that reads “Ours is yours”—welcoming you to Sephora’s grand opening. Ellis also directed a 2D & 3D film depicting the creation of the artwork in time-lapse with cinematographer Christopher Keohane which features an original soundtrack by composer Maya Love Coppola. The film will be on display in 3D at the grand opening and on Sephora YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/sephora) thereafter.

Sephora Meatpacking District

21-27 Ninth Avenue

New York, NY 10014

Store Hours: Mon – Sun: 10:00am to 11:00pm