All it takes is a quick walk through the perfume-lined shelves of Le Labo, the newest tenant in the North Loop’s historic Colonial Warehouse, to believe that perfumery is an exacting science.
“We formulate and mix each bottle in our lab, down to the precise drop,” shares Richard Meyer, manager of La Labo’s new Minneapolis location. Curious about the process? The lab near the back of the shop is doorless and open for viewing, offering shoppers an entrancing peek into the formulation of their new signature scent.
The New York-based fragrance brand, owned by Estée Lauder, was founded in 2006, and quickly became a favorite among A-list celebrities, worn by the likes of Taylor Swift, Alexa Chung, and Justin Bieber. The elite-endorsed perfumery now has locations in more than 50 countries worldwide, and formulates signature fragrances for each new city it migrates to, dubbed its “city exclusives.”
“Le Labo does about two years of market research in each new location it opens,” says Meyer. “They’ve known for two years that they wanted to be in this building, specifically.”
The rugged, exposed brick of the Colonial Warehouse indeed makes a fitting backdrop for the experiential perfumery, which is right at home alongside neighbors like luxury retailer MartinPatrick3 and designer jewelry boutique The Loupe. The store’s grand opening in November proved the city’s thirst for the luxury fragrance experience, culminating in, as Meyer shared, the most successful opening staged at any Le Labo location.
When I visited the store on Tuesday afternoon, I was taken with its soothing, minimalistic interior, enlivened by an abundance of plants and natural herbs and anchored by a life-sized bathtub at the center of the room, stocked with Le Labo’s bath and body care products. In the lab, one of the shop’s trained technicians was mixing a bottle of Santal 33, Le Labo’s most popular fragrance. The process, while incredibly precise, takes all but 10 minutes to complete, allowing customers to walk away with their hand-mixed fragrance shortly after ordering. This on-site process ensures each purchase is uniquely personalized, with perfume bottles boxed and signed by the mixers themselves to commemorate the experience.
Photo by Emma Enebak
“Each bottle undergoes a two-week maceration process,” explains Meyer. “It will be ready to wear immediately, but it will take two weeks to reach its strongest scent.”
As I browsed the shelves of Le Labo’s signature fragrances, each one named in reference to its formula (Santal 33 uses santal as its base ingredient, with 33 additional notes.), I began to wonder what Minneapolis’ impending city exclusive might smell like. Maybe hints of pine or wintergreen as an ode to our tundra-like climate?
Meyer disclosed that it may still take some time to formulate Minneapolis’ signature scent, a process which necessitates an intimate relationship with the city and its culture. But Le Labo is well on its way, already building vital partnerships within the community, including with Four Seasons Minneapolis just a few blocks away.
“We love our neighbors here, they’ve all been so excited for us,” says Meyer. “People from Jaxen Grey and MartinPatrick3 have already stopped in and bought their fragrances. We’re just so happy to have a presence here.”
If you’re stuck on holiday gift shopping, consider picking up a hand-mixed fragrance from Le Labo, at 212 N. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.
