07.22.24
Kao has unveiled the first global flagship store for Japan’s top-selling makeup brand—Kate. The grand opening will be held on July 25. The store will showcase Kate’s full range of products.
The store is located in Tokyo’s commercial district—Shibuya Sakura Stage. This store will feature multi-sensory experiences, combining AI-powered virtual technology with hands-on makeup opportunities, and personalized tutorials.
“The flagship store will challenge established beauty expectations,” says Arihiro Iwata, KATE’s
brand manager. “Customers will use virtual tools merged with digital experiences that reveal new aspects of their inner selves.”
The Kate flagship store reflects the brand's ethos, "NO MORE RULES." The Kate ethos
is a stylish and edgy vibe that goes beyond mere aesthetics.
Merging Technology and Reality
When customers enter the store, they will see their image on a screen, with digital particles bubbling out from their hair, clothes, and skin. The bubbles then shift to the brand’s signature red, rise toward the ceiling, and fuse with a larger mass of particles that slosh across a giant tower screen at the entrance like liquid inside a bottle.
The store offers a spacious product area with built-in virtual tools and appealing tester bars, like called the Lip Monster Tower. This allows customers to explore and sample the complete range of Kate products, including limited web editions.
Customers can also experience the Kate iCON Box and the My MasChara Maker, which are tools that offer personalized advice.
The Kate iCON Box is a makeup vending machine that dispenses physical product along with digital makeup advice.
My MasChara Maker ("mascara" + "character") uses AI to analyze facial impressions and eye proportions to suggest the ideal combination of mascara liquid type, brush, and color for every customer.
For a more immersive shopping experience, multilingual makeup specialists known as Kate
Creators will provide makeup consultations and tutorials.
