ROMANTIC CHEMISTRY
A jewel box on a blossoming retail strip, the new Libertine Parfumerie flagship has changed the face of LUXURY BEAUTY in Sydney.
It was not so long ago, before e-commerce and affordable travel became the norm, that a visit to the great pharmacies and apothecaries in Europe was limited to a lucky few. Those retail spaces, cloaked in old-world opulence and centuries of hard-earned charm, were the kind of boutiques one could only experience in places like Paris, Florence and Milan. But 15 years ago, Nick Smart was determined to bring a slice of that European history to Australia. The founder and director of luxury beauty purveyors Agence de Parfum and Libertine Parfumerie opened his first store in Brisbane, and has since successfully introduced some of the world’s finest — and rarest — beauty and fragrance brands to local customers.
The recently opened Libertine Parfumerie flagship on Sydney’s Oxford Street is a marker of that achievement. And when it came to the store’s debut, Smart knew exactly who to call — Sydney-based interior designer Tamsin Johnson, a master of mixing European flourishes with Australian flair. “Tamsin’s aesthetic was very much aligned with the new direction,” explains Smart. “We wanted our full suite of products on display and Tamsin was tasked with this, as well as layering in her inimitable style, underscored by touches of European elegance, which I’ve been admiring on overseas buying trips for years.”
The boutique’s location in Paddington’s The Intersection was integral, especially since it sits with two other flagships in the Libertine Parfumerie portfolio — Santa Maria Novella and Trudon. “The outlook from the store is beautiful, looking across to the sandstone walls of Victoria Barracks and the avenue of jacarandas,” says Smart. As for Johnson, her admiration for the apothecaries and drugstores found in France, Milan and Venice — “some dating back as far as the 14th century” — offered a deep well of inspiration. “I love the richness of European apothecaries,” she notes. “But not in the twee sense — more for the decadence they exude, which I took in a more classically enriched direction.”
Under Johnson’s eye, the interiors merge delicate Murano glass chandeliers and antique marble washbasins reclaimed from France with trompe l’oeil paintwork, chocolate-toned European oak cabinetry and parquet floorboards. “I think the chemistry, along with the sense of magic and intrigue that comes with fragrances lends itself perfectly to a treatment such as this,” explains Johnson. “There’s a lot of visual competition among the products on display. I thought the best response was to offer a heightened sense of cornucopia to the shopper, like there is always more to discover.”
Divided into three distinct spaces — the boutique-style front, a charming open-air courtyard and a private room out the back intended for VIP experiences and intimate events — the store offers a sense of exploration and depth. And the final touch, a glorious, glazed-glass façade, makes the perfect first impression. “I think sometimes stores can lose their sense of invitation and forgo pride in the edifice itself,” states Johnson. “I like when a store offers a more traditional sense of effort and elaboration that captivates and invites.” libertineparfumerie.com.au tamsinjohnson.com