In a nutshell
An intense, monochrome red jewel-box that fuses trunkmaking heritage with Dame Pat McGrath’s high-drama cosmetics vision, this Prince Street pop-up shows how Louis Vuitton can prototype a full beauty universe in SoHo while stress-testing formats and storytelling for a permanent beauty roll-out. This is a built-for-Instagram stage that follows other high-profile and slickly executed popups (eg the "Dog LVERS" pop-up in Soho, New York City, was a temporary event that showcased the brand's Men's SS25 Pre-Collection and featured dog-related items like collars, leashes, and engraved tags, around November 2024). Retail + theatre. Tick.
In their words
Brand Background
Louis Vuitton has used temporary retail as both a communications and format-testing tool in Soho for more than a decade, frequently reworking the compact corner at 104 Prince Street into themed pop-ups around menswear, collaborations and categories like fragrance. La Beauté Louis Vuitton represents the maison’s formal entry into colour cosmetics, extending a beauty portfolio that has until now centred on high-end fragrances developed with Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and skincare collections such as Or de Vie.
The makeup line is created under the artistic direction of Dame Pat McGrath, whose long-standing relationship with creative director Nicolas Ghesquière spans runway shows and campaigns; together, they frame beauty as another canvas for the brand’s established codes of colour, light and material experiment.
Opened in late August 2025, the La Beauté Louis Vuitton pop-up takes over 104 Prince Street as an “immersive, design-driven space” dedicated to the debut makeup collection. The tightly edited assortment focuses on three hero pillars:
- LV Rouge lipsticks (55 shades)
- LV Baume lip balms (10 shades)
- LV Ombres eyeshadow palettes (8 harmonies)
Early access to certain shades and textures ahead of wider online and boutique release is promised.
Visit Field notes
The spatial sequence is choreographed as a sensory journey: guests enter through a tunnel or “portal” lined with roughly 28 to 50 digital screens showing beauty films and abstract colour compositions, before emerging into a lacquered red main room where a Monogram flower-shaped central station displays the collection at full intensity.
Design elements are calibrated for dwell time and shareability. Mirrored orbs and an AI- or AR-powered Virtual Try-On Room allow visitors to test shades digitally on screen, while glossy Verner Panton Cone Chairs and dedicated consultation stations encourage one-to-one sessions with make-up artists trained in the new line. A “Soho Corner” screening space plays short films that unpack the stories behind ten signature shades, adding narrative depth for beauty enthusiasts and press. The Beauty Station Trunk - conceived as a contemporary riff on Louis Vuitton’s historical trunks - anchors the space both as a sculptural object and as functional storage and display, linking the new category to the maison’s core travel and craftsmanship narrative.
FashionNetwork and Luxury Daily highlight how the pop-up offers a “hands-on tour” through virtual try-on, personalised consultations and content rooms, positioning La Beauté as an experiential category launch rather than a simple counter rollout in department stores.
Checkout
The red. The store telegraphs that it has understood the brief in terms of colour impact.
The LV trunk and motif integration
Story-telling - in passing via screens and in the more explicit surround "screening space"
Virtual Try-on - AR that is optimised for the colours and skin tones
Furniture detailing of mid-century classics
The highly engaging staff, seeing each visitor as an influencer. Generous offering of explanations, samples and 'hidden' Instagrammable moments.
Other Reading
LS:N on the pop-up launch
The Industry:Beauty on the launch of the Beauté range
Mission's review
Superfuture review
The store's web page on Louis Vuitton
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