Shaftesbury Capital has announced that French luxury fragrance house MATIERE PREMIERE has opened its first UK store at 31 King Street, Covent Garden, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s international retail expansion and reinforcing Covent Garden’s position as a leading destination for luxury beauty.
Founded on a radical approach to perfumery, MATIERE PREMIERE is known for centring each fragrance around a single, exceptional natural raw material, used in high concentration and sourced to the highest standards. The new 708 sq ft Covent Garden store showcases the full portfolio of scents, allowing customers to engage directly with the brand’s craftsmanship and creative philosophy in its own dedicated store for the first time in the UK.
The opening places MATIERE PREMIERE at the heart of London’s West End beauty landscape, within a neighbourhood that has already attracted high-profile fragrance and beauty brands such as Byredo, Creed, Chanel, Diptyque, Dolce&Gabbana, Le Labo, Penhaligon’s, Tom Ford and many more, soon to be joined by the UK store debut for Initio Parfums Privés. MATIERE PREMIERE will fit seamlessly alongside an array of high-quality brands already present on King Street, such as Apple, Arc’teryx, Glossier, Reformation and Polo Ralph Lauren.
William Oliver, Director of Retail & Restaurant Leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, commented: “Beauty is an important category for Covent Garden which continues to grow year on year, and MATIERE PREMIERE is an excellent example of the quality of brand we are actively seeking to attract. Our leasing approach focuses on curating a best-in-class mix that enhances the district’s global appeal and supports long-term brand growth. The arrival of MATIERE PREMIERE at King Street reflects both the strength of the location and Covent Garden’s continued evolution as a leading destination for luxury beauty.”
Cédric Meiffret, Founder and General Manager at MATIERE PREMIERE, said: “The UK is where it all began for MATIERE PREMIERE. We made our worldwide debut at Harrods in October 2019. From the outset, the collection received an exceptional response from an international clientele in London. Building on this success, we naturally expanded our presence to Selfridges, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Brown Thomas, and other prestigious partners. London is a retail capital that sets the bar – vibrant and demanding – an obvious choice after Paris. We explored several opportunities before finding the ideal location. Covent Garden is an iconic, lively, and chic district, where we are excited to write the next chapter of the House.”
MATIERE PREMIERE’s opening follows a period of sustained leasing activity across the portfolio, with a flurry of new brands set to take space in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials neighbourhood. This includes flagship openings for Code8 and MONC, as well as Islander and Percival, underlining the continued growth of Covent Garden as a launchpad for beauty and fashion brands looking to establish a presence in the capital.
