Glossier’s NYC Store Gets a Subway-Inspired Glow Up

Header: Glossier Studios / Jason Schmidt

The Glossier Soho Flagship at 123 Lafayette Street in New York City is a visual and sensory experience. Designed to reflect the brand’s vibrant identity, the lighting concept by Dot Dash, under the leadership of Christopher Cheap, has earned acclaim as a winner in Retail Lighting Design at the prestigious LIT Lighting Design Awards.

Drawing inspiration from the iconic New York subway, the lighting design is a masterclass balancing functionality and aesthetics. The flagship, a collaboration between Glossier Studios, Gachot Studios, and PRO, emphasizes how lighting can transform retail into a shared, community-centric experience.

Lighting design excellence

The design team’s primary challenge was creating a space that looks equally stunning in person and on camera – a hallmark of Glossier’s Instagram-worthy ethos. Through meticulous research and mockups, they calibrated a mix of diffuse, direct, and ambient lighting to ensure flattering, shadow-free illumination. Every light fixture boasts a CRI of 90+ with a minimum R9 score of 60, ensuring accurate skin tones and product representation.

Innovatively, daylight sensors integrate with natural light, maintaining the store’s bright, airy atmosphere while reducing energy use. After hours, a timed sequence dims the sales floor lights to conserve up to 90% of the electric load while maintaining the store’s street presence.

Merging design and brand identity

The 5,500-square-foot flagship is bathed in pale pink and red accents, mirroring Glossier’s iconic branding. Pastel-pink plaster walls curve dramatically from the ground floor to a striking red quartz staircase, while mirrors and Barrisol-covered windows diffuse light to create an expansive, glowing ambiance.

Special features include the Boy Brow Room, the Wet Bar for product trials, and reflective shelves nodding to Glossier’s packaging. The design encourages interaction, with ribbed cylindrical podiums and playful details like a red “lip sofa” and pink paper pulp chairs by Thomas Barger.

The lighting design sets a new benchmark in retail environments by seamlessly blending sustainability, innovative technology, and Glossier’s distinctive aesthetic.

This achievement not only redefines the flagship as a gathering space for the brand’s community but also underscores the critical role of lighting in enhancing customer experience.

Project info