Selfridges has unveiled the final stage of its London Beauty Hall renovation with the reopening of its restored Fragrance Hall, designed as a destination for both new and established niche fragrance brands.
The Selfridges Beauty Hall forms part of the Oxford Street store’s original 1909 configuration. Inspired by Parisian retailers who sold make-up and fragrance on countertops in the early twentieth century, founder Harry Gordon Selfridge was the first to bring beauty to the forefront of the ground floor, setting a blueprint for department stores worldwide. The original move expanded the beauty department and strategically relocated perfume counters from the back of the store to the front, improving accessibility while also masking the smell of horse-drawn carriages on Oxford Street. Selfridge believed shopping should be enticing and tactile, placing central displays within aisles and lowering counters to encourage customer interaction with products.
The renovation enhances and futureproofs the interior, reflecting the store’s 1909 Beaux Arts façade. Original Carrara marble floors, marble columns, ceilings and bronze Oxford Street entrance doors and surrounds dating from 1928 have been retained. Four new countertops have also been introduced, featuring carbon neutral Dekton face finishes and patinated brass edge trim details designed to complement the existing bronze finishes. Chandeliers originally designed by Christian Liaigre and installed in 1999 have also been refurbished. The Oxford Street entrance is widely recognised as a masterpiece of decorative arts and crafts, with the Fragrance Hall acting as the gateway to the redesigned Information Desk situated beneath an Eduardo Paolozzi sculpture of Josephine Baker. Designed by Al-Jawad Pike Architects, the sand cast silicon bronze desk complements the Beaux Arts frontage.
The new counters are home to 47 fragrance houses, including Mind Games, Solferino and Seoul-based Born to Stand Out by Jun Lim. The hall features more than 30 exclusive fragrances in total, including Nishane Oudeous Cerasus and Discotheque Body Heat. Customers can also explore heritage brands including prestigious British luxury perfume house Clive Christian and Amouage, known for hand blended creations using fine and rare ingredients to bridge the gap between eastern and western perfumery traditions.
The destination offers scents from Maison Crivelli, Marc-Antoine Barrois, Initio, Discotheque, Matière Premiere and Mancera, with 40 new exclusive fragrances to follow from brands including Clive Christian, Ormonde Jayne, Ex Nihilo, Parfums de Marly, Maison Margiela and Initio. The space is anchored by destinations from Dior and Chanel, offering sit down service and bespoke gifting options.
Melissa McGinnis, Director of Beauty Buying at Selfridges, says: “Our new Fragrance Hall is a place that brings people together through scent. Customers can discover the world’s most exciting fragrance brands in the original destination first conceived by our founder in 1909, with architecture that complements the sensory experience.”
The Fragrance Hall completes the two year renovation of the London Beauty Hall, a city centric destination welcoming global beauty brands and customers, offering exclusivity, innovation and newness across fragrance, colour and skincare. The space is complemented by an evolving range of more than 200 services, from quick on counter treatments to full colour consultations, engraving and personalisation, as well as clinical residencies with leading experts. Across all Selfridges stores, customers can refill fragrances with more than 300 options available across 30 brands. Key brands within the Fragrance Hall include Le Labo, Balenciaga and Dries Van Noten.
From spring, Selfridges will introduce two fragrance bundles, one showcasing six niche brands and another focusing on unisex scents. In summer, the Fragrance Wardrobe will return, offering customers the opportunity to try a selection of niche fragrances. Reselfridges Recycle is a new recycling scheme enabling customers to return beauty empties, including fragrance bottles, at Selfridges Beauty Halls across London, Manchester and Birmingham. For every five items recycled, customers will receive a Key as part of the Selfridges Unlocked membership programme.
