Hailey Bieber’s Rhode
After braving a line that snaked through SoHo, fans snapped selfies and rubbed blush on their cheeks inside a tiny pop-up shop for Mrs. Bieber’s makeup brand, Rhode. The line of Hailey Bieber fans snaked up Greene Street in Manhattan and wrapped around the block, but many were never going to get what they really wanted: a selfie with Mrs. Bieber.
Inside the tiny storefront, employees wore the Los Angeles girl uniform: a form-fitting white tee, semi-baggy jeans and black loafers. The walls were painted a glossy caramel shade, and mirrors emblazoned with the brand name covered the walls. Outside, a baby-pink Cosmic Bliss ice cream truck distributed samples of Strawberry Glaze, Mrs. Bieber’s signature ice cream flavor, fashioned after her signature Erewhon smoothie.
With her Gen Z bona fides and the all-important aura of celebrity, Mrs. Bieber, 27, a model and socialite who founded Rhode in 2022, is carving out a niche within the crowded, billion-dollar cosmetics and skin care industry. In some ways, the pop-up is an extension of previous experiments by the brand, like a touring photo booth.
“With Rhode, I’m always looking for new ways to reach our customers,” Mrs. Bieber said in a phone interview. “I speak so much about how Rhode is a whole world that we’re creating. As a brand, we’re always wanting to bring people into the world of Rhode in fun and immersive ways.”
Mrs. Bieber visited the shop the night before, when Rhode hosted a preview event for friends and skin care influencers, but she decided to skip the first day.
A teenage attendee named Arrens Osorto demonstrated the flushed look that Rhode has made its calling card. He was at the back of the line, with a full face of blush.
“I’m really excited to see Hailey Bieber and all her makeup products from Rhode,” he said smiling shyly from the back of the line. “I think she’s inside!”
This reporter did not have the heart to tell him that Mrs. Bieber was not, in fact, at the shop.