TAMBURINS’ Seoul Seongsu Flagship Store
I've been thinking about the immersive retail ecosystem in Seoul and my mind keeps going back to my April visit to TAMBURINS, GENTLE MONSTER's sister brand. I feel like it's one of those brands that keeps Western luxury houses on their toes when they design experiences for their Asian audiences.
So, without further ado – below are some of my thoughts on the Tamburins Seongsu flagship store:
First of all, the architecture – you gotta give it to this brand, they're experimental, bold, adventurous AND sophisticated; the concrete skeleton and glass buidling concept and moving the actual store to the basement – well-lit thanks to the open space above it – was such a genius move and is perfect for the reimagined industrial district the store is located in
The life-sized sculpture of the elderly couple – with the man lovingly applying the brand's newest lip balm on the woman's lips – just stole the show for me; it's a bold statement to make, being part of a society plagued by lookism and ageism and is much appreciated coming from a beauty brand
There's also Jennie from Blackpink on digital screens, shown posing for one of the newest collections – I honestly love how Tamburins (and Gentle Monster) uses tech, from simple yet effective elements such as the screens to complex animatronics
The futuristic yet close-to-nature design is another sign of genius – cloud-like, silver shelves built into bare concrete walls, exposed building structure, tables with surfaces mimicking mother-of-pearl texture, and then actual soil incorporated into the central istallation, live potted trees, paintings featuring nature motifs - chef's kiss
And, of course, there's the merchandise, placed sparingly (but groupped for effect) throughout the store so you do feel like you're there to actually live the brand, and not just purchase something
Can you tell I'm in love? This is a store I will most definitely come back to and one of the crown jewels of this dynamic Seoul city district known for the best concept and pop-up stores.
