Paris’ chicest department store, Le Bon Marché, brings its rich heritage and finely-curated selection of beauty brands online via its new e-commerce platform, 24Sevres.

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, the world’s oldest department store, has gone digital with the summer launch of its global e-commerce site, 24Sevres.com.

The website is the first major initiative under the helm of Ian Rogers, LMVH’s chief digital officer hired from Apple in 2015, a newly created role that is part of the group’s strategy to establish itself in the fast-growing, luxury e-commerce space, translating Le Bon Marché’s rich retail heritage and highly creative, visually led merchandising in the digital domain.

The storied department store, which dates back to 1852 and has been owned by LVMH since 1984, is known for its quintessential Parisian flair, featuring an eclectic mix of exclusive and emerging brands. 24Sevres brings Le Bon Marché’s curatorial expertise online, including exclusive limited edition items and collaborations with artists, giving the site a compelling point of difference. (The focus here is currently on fashion).

Le Bon Marché literally means ‘the good market’ or ‘the good deal’, but the name belies the curated selection of high luxury products in its prestigious beauty hall.

Its domain name, 24Sevres, refers to Le Bon Marché’s physical address in Paris. The famed department store is located on 24 Rue de Sèvres in Saint Germain in the 7th arrondissement, on the Left Bank of the Seine.

Beauty is impeccably laid out on two distinct floors at this ‘grande dame’ department store, and 24Sevres aims to replicate the visual feast of the bricks and mortar store by way of innovative visual merchandising (as opposed to reams of editorial content).

The ground floor is dedicated to what Le Bon Marché calls ‘le théâtre de la beauté’. France’s rich heritage in haute parfumerie, as well as skin care, takes center stage on either side of the Art Deco escalator in the center of the lavish space and beneath the impressive glass ceiling. So too, on 24Sevres, products are merchandised with elegant props and backgrounds such as marble surfaces, delicate florals, chandeliers and fresco ceilings.

Established, niche fragrance brands, including Annick Goutal, L’Artisan Parfumeur and Serge Lutens, occupy prime real estate in the store alongside newcomers such as Mémo Paris (‘the journey is the destination’), By Kilian and Liquides (‘bar à parfums’).

France’s high-end fragrance and skin care brands display their most glamorous collections, including Dior’s La Collection Privée and Guerlain’s perfume collection housed in a celebrated bee bottle. Skin care brands Valmont and Chantecaille sit alongside a smattering of Asian brands, such as Cha Ling (‘L’Esprit du Thé’, the spirit of tea).

The second floor of Le Bon Marché’s beauty hall, ‘la petite épicerie de la beauté’ (the little beauty deli or grocery store), is laid out like a contemporary loft with exposed red brick walls, oversized mirrors, large windows and an airy, relaxed atmosphere, in contrast to the more formal elegance of the ground floor.

Here, there are more than 50 new and up-and-coming brands from around the world, including Sweden, Australia and South Korea, many of which are exclusive to Le Bon Marché. Only a small fraction of the contemporary brands on the second floor are currently featured on 24Sevres.

Niche, eco-friendly brands such as Bjork and Berries (ecoluxury beauty from Sweden) featuring organic beech and birch extract, sit alongside such offerings as Kur Bazaar (up to 85% natural nail polish), Casanera’s Corsican-inspired fragrances and Codage Paris’ custom-made skin care. A host of beauty services, such as makeup lessons, skin treatments and a nail bar, are also available.

24Sevres offers an array of interactive services including video chats with personal shoppers and a Facebook Messenger Style Bot giving bespoke recommendations. The 24Sevres personal shopper ‘provides refined Parisian style bespoke to your needs.’ Attention to service and detail are, after all, Le Bon Marché’s hallmark.