Browns Hires Nellie Eden as It Prepares to Launch Into Beauty
LONDON — Browns is the latest European online retailer to branch into beauty, and has hired Nellie Eden as its first creative beauty editor-in-residence.
An announcement is expected on Thursday.
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Eden is a creative, writer, editor and founder of the agency Eden Creative. Browns said Eden will help the retailer showcase its take on beauty via “compelling campaigns, creative content, memorable in-store programming and unique events.”
The store said Eden will work closely with Browns’ brand and buying teams “to help enhance, and amplify, the new category for launch. She will be charged with engaging Browns’ existing customer base, taking them on a beauty journey that’s as unique and boutique as its fashion offering.”
Browns said it plans to add beauty to its offer later this year and will take a “holistic and luxury approach to the category, offering effective, conscious and inclusive brands and rituals to our audience.”
Eden has worked in-house at Dazed and Refinery29, and as a creative with brands including Burberry, Byredo, Martine Rose, Gucci, Selfridges, Glossier and Nike. For four years she worked as a creative consultant for Isamaya Ffrench, and has contributed stories to British Vogue, i-D and Dazed.
“Nellie has such an innate understanding of the beauty world and all of its wonderful nuances,” said Ida Petersson, Browns’ buying director.
“She brings her extensive knowledge of the industry to this project and we are thrilled to have her on board as we work toward our launch later this year. At Browns, we know there is no singular expression of beauty, and we’re incredibly excited to introduce our vision for the category — one based on inclusion, innovation, creativity and experimentation — to our customer. We’re going to have a lot of fun in this new space,” Petersson added.
Browns is the latest luxury retailer to make a big move in beauty. As reported, Mytheresa is experimenting in the space with a series of pop-ups, the latest of which is with Sisley. Browns’ parent company Farfetch purchased Violet Grey earlier this year, while THG bought Cult Beauty last summer.
The space is a hot one, as online retailers look to broaden their consumer base, capture a younger consumer and create virtual beauty halls that rival those of physical department stores with exclusives, limited-edition products and a sense of discovery.
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