Atelier Cologne is heading uptown.
Today, the brand opens the doors of its new flagship, located at 950 Madison Avenue. The flagship is the 20th location the brand has opened since its 2009 launch and comes seven years after the opening of the NoLIta store at 247 Elizabeth Street.
“When we opened our first boutique, we picked a location where we would choose to live," said cofounder Sylvie Ganter. "It was much more about what we can relate to, but also what we could afford, being a young, entrepreneurial company, making bets on streets that made us feel good, like Elizabeth Street . But Madison Avenue means something, from a luxury standpoint, a foot traffic standpoint, a brand standpoint, a statement standpoint."
Contrary to its other locations, Atelier Cologne's Madison flagship features a clear storefront, with its signature blue hue appearing in the window displays. Inside, there is a fragrance bar where Atelier Cologne perfume artists can take customers through the full offerings, as well as a customization and gift wall. The back of the store is covered in colorful mosaics and features a map displaying the global sources from which the brand gets its ingredients.
Atelier Cologne, which was acquired by L'Oréal in 2016, has been ramping up its presence in Asia over the past couple of years. The brand just opened a store in Beijing and has been opening a new store in China every three months, according to Cervasel.
“ is about to become — we know already it will be next year," he said. "This year, we have Europe, America, Asia, which are the same level. Next year, Asia will become number one.”
The brand has gained a following for its natural ingredients, high concentrations and focus on citrus.
"The perfume world offers so many super sexy for her, super sexy for him scents," Ganter said. "As a customer, when I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel super sexy. If I bring my kids to school, that’s not what I want to convey. But at the same time, perfume is very much part of my mood. Playing with all of those codes that are completely outside of super sexy for her, super sexy for him, is very much what we are trying to do — and what our customer is relating to with our brand."
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