It's fair to say the beauty industry has been waiting with bated breath to see what Bobbi Brown's next move will be following her departure from Estée Lauder late last year. Other than a few abstract intimations given during a Q&A at the Indie Beauty Expo in early 2017, there has been very little to go on.
But it looks like Brown is back on the scene in a whole new capacity following the launch of her very own concept shop within a shop.
Her new venture, JustBobbi, sits within US retailer Lord & Taylor and sells wellness products, clothing, shoes and accessories that all reflect Brown's aesthetic and lifestyle. There are also Bobbi Brown sunglasses, some of her makeup products and her new book, Beauty From the Inside Out.
Brown spoke to WWD about the project and said: "The intent is to create a very cool curated space that allows people a new way to shop.
“I’ve been given a clean slate so this could be anything I want it to be. It’s a concept shop full of my lifestyle philosophy to try new things, to be comfortable and to be healthy. There’s a lot of health and wellness there, as well as my favourite jeans."
Lord & Taylor have also appointed Brown as creative consultant and another aspect of her role is to to create content for the brand's website and social channels on a weekly basis. This has already included a Live Facebook stream introducing the new concept shops.
JustBobbi shops are in five Lord & Taylor locations so far, including the Manhattan flagship. Growth into freestanding JustBobbi shops has apparently crossed Brown's mind but is not currently on the agenda.
"It’s not something I could or want to do by myself. Right now I am beyond excited about Lord & Taylor. I am very loyal and I love a partnership," she says.