Korres’ Sorbonne store gets a sparkling, minimalist makeover

It's all change at the base of Greece’s oldest homoeopathic pharmacy in Paris; welcome to Korres Sorbonne, the celebrated Mediterranean beauty brand’s thoroughly refreshed home in Rive Gauche.

Set in a handsome historic building, the new space reimagines the company’s existing store there – its very first in Paris, which opened in 2009. The boutique, located in the heart of the city’s buzzy Latin Quarter, was followed by its counterpart in Le Marais, in 2021, completing the brand’s presence on both sides of the River Seine. It’s been an inspirational journey for the Greek beauty stalwart that started life as a humble apothecary in Athens’ Pangrati neighbourhood in 1996, launched by founder Giorgos Korres.

Now, a fresh interior concept at Sorbonne underscores Korres’ newest architectural identity and its ongoing collaboration with Athenian design studio Trail Practice. The studio is behind the expertly balanced interiors in all of Korres’ international offerings, in both Paris and New York, as well as the company’s presence at the 2024 Cosmoprof trade show in Bologna, and more.

However, there is more than simply a series of successful commissions that connect the two businesses. Trail Practice’s director, Manos Babounis, was an in-house designer at Korres before heading the company’s interior architecture team, eventually setting up his own architecture, interior and product design firm. Meanwhile, both the Korres founder and Babounis hail from the Cycladic island of Naxos, sharing a passion for the Aegean archipelago, which serves as a continuous source of inspiration for them, reflected in both the brand’s looks and product. The undeniable synergy between the two companies has led to an effortless, ongoing, fruitful collaboration.

‘The creation of a recognisable brand identity for Korres requires the synthesis of an architectural vocabulary that is subtly repeated, crafting worlds within worlds. This challenging demand brings architecture, interior, industrial, and graphic design into a synergistic process, evolving simultaneously across different design scales,’ says Babounis.

As a result, the reworked Paris interior feels minimalist and inviting; cohesive and immersive, and fully befitting of the brand’s reputation as a pioneer in Greek natural beauty and skincare. All colour and material palettes that make up the new space’s architectural language nod to Greece, from the prevailing crisp white tones to the crafted details. The latter includes Naxian marble, soft curtain fabrics, cool galvanised metal sheet and chocolate-brown American walnut timber. The design also makes the most of the property’s generous shopfront, which brings ample sunlight in and illuminates the compact, finely tuned interior.

Tailor-made elements abound in this highly bespoke retail space. A dedicated shelving system, ‘Nissos’, is designed to feature delicate proportions in order to highlight the product it carries. A display table centrepiece conceptually references laboratory tables. Meanwhile, a boudoir-like wardrobe piece doubles as a make-up corner for the Korres cosmetics line, inviting the customer in and placing them at the heart of the shopping experience.

The Korres Sorbonne store has just reopened after its careful redesign. It not only makes the most of its architectural presence, which serves as a beacon for the area and a specialist showcase for the company’s growing range of refined products; it also subtly marks the Greek brand’s 30th anniversary, and its presence in the French capital.

Korres Sorbonne is at 54 Rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris, France
korres.com;trailpractice.com