The Spirit of Dubai has landed in London with the launch of the brand’s first global flagship boutique opposite leading department store Harrods in Knightsbridge.
The luxury fragrance brand’s Managing Director Mustafa Adam Ali told Cosmetics Business the new store is in the perfect location.
“Our first retail partners were Roja Dove and Harrods and I do believe in destiny. One fine day my manager called me to say there was an opening in Knightsbridge.”
He added: “I fell in love with the store and the location straightaway.”
The flagship boutique is designed to give the customer an immersive experience with each of the brand’s fragrances paying tribute to the seven elements of Dubai from the sea to the desert and architecture.
The fragrances are inspired by Dubai but Adam Ali emphasised the brand is designed to have an international flavour so it will appeal to all tastes.
The shopfront leads customers to a framed archway that is hand-painted with Arabic calligraphy to celebrate The Spirit of Dubai’s seven signature fragrances.
Customers are encouraged to enjoy the store’s surroundings with seating in the basement and a complimentary engraving service available, which allows fragrances to be personalised for gifts.
Every purchase comes with a travel pouch to protect the fragrance, plus a free gift of the customer’s choice such as a travel-sized bottle or a car air freshener.
Luxury is at the heart of the brand and Adam Ali pointed out customised gift-wrapping is offered with all purchases and even the carrier bags have won awards for their exquisite packaging.
The brand, which launched in Dubai in 2015 and has 49 products is already subject to copycats. “We set trends and others follow in terms of our packaging and price points,” he said.
The Spirit of Dubai prides itself on manufacturing incense and fragrance for the mass market while maintaining superior quality in terms of the amount of natural ingredients used in the formulations and the costs of the packaging.
As Adam Ali explained: "We have mastered the art of capturing our grandmother’s recipe, who was a perfumer and the reason why my dad started his journey into fragrance and our business.”
There are plans to grow the brand’s international fan base with stores in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait already in the pipeline.
“We’re always thinking about what’s next. Our next big project will be very spectacular and it’s something that’s never been done before,” he said.
