In honour of Lancôme’s illustrious 90th anniversary, Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific and The Shilla Duty Free Korea proudly unveils the enchanting worldwide exclusive Rose Ice-Hotel experience at Incheon International Airport on 7 February 2025.
Nestled at the heart of Incheon Terminal 2’s grand atrium, the breathtaking installation transforms the 90 years legacy of the Lancôme Rose into a dazzling springtime bloom through the poetic lens of world-renowned artist, Cai Guo-Qiang.
In 2025, Lancôme marks its 90th anniversary as a global authority in beauty. Coinciding with the cusp of Spring, Lancôme pays homage to its signature rose – the heart of the house’s artistry and innovations in skincare, fragrance and makeup.
The celebratory collaboration: a symbol of spring’s new life – Paris Rose by cAI™
To mark a momentous New Year, Lancôme has partnered with Cai Guo-Qiang, globally renowned for his famed gunpowder art, explosion events, and installations. In celebration of Lancôme’s 90th anniversary, cAI™ (pronounced “AI Cai”), an AI model custom-developed by the artist and his team, created a uniquely striking work under Cai’s guidance that features the House’s iconic rose at its center.
Cai Guo-Qiang’s exclusive artwork for Lancôme, Paris Rose, is a fusion of pigments and gunpowder, crafted employing cAI™, the artificial intelligence model that Cai has developed. Paris Rose’s striking floral motif holds the promise of a new beginning. It is an expression of women’s eternal power, of beauty, and of savoir-faire.
An Incheon-Exclusive Experience: The Rose Ice-Hotel
Unexpected, irresistibly elevated, the disruptive Rose Ice-Hotel concept encapsulates 90 years of Lancôme Legacy – its constant quest for innovation, quintessential French culture and elegance, and high service – all with a dreamy artistic expression of the Paris Rose in the exclusive collaboration with Cai Guo-Qiang. The alluring Rose Ice-Hotel, constructed in acrylic to immortalise the passage of winter to spring, reimagines an indulgent luxury hotel experience in a travel retail format. Standing tall as a symbol of Lancôme’s service excellence, the dazzling ice palace captivates international travellers at Incheon Airport Terminal 2.
A Traffic-Stopping Welcome
Upon arrival, travellers are first captured by an ethereal Ice Concierge, complete with the warm hospitality of irresistibly dashing hotel bellboys. As their luggage are whisked along on elegant Parisian palace-styled gold bellboy trolleys, they will then be ushered through the grand Ice Arc de Triomphe, modelled after the French heritage landmark embodying timeless French beauty.
First impressions: a warm and luxurious welcome at the Ice Concierge
Ice Art Gallery
The arc opens up to an Ice Art Gallery, featuring a patrimony collection from its archives – for the first time in L’Oreal Travel Retail, precious pieces across fragrance, skincare and makeup, are flown in from the vaults in Paris to Incheon airport. With the oldest pieces dating back to its inception in 1935, the gallery promises of an immersive and cultural journey through the brand’s remarkable 90 years of legacy. This is the first time in Travel Retail history for all travellers to immerse into Lancôme history.
The rare and unprecedented public unveiling of Lancôme’s exclusive vintage pieces from Paris, displayed alongside its crowd-favourite iterations of today, is a poetic testament to Lancôme’s unwavering dedication to artistry and innovation. This new year, as winter’s ice melts into the promise of spring, we welcome the rebirth of icons.
The epitome of cultural elevation at Lancôme sits proudly at the Ice Art Gallery, featuring vintage pieces from 1935
Ice Lobby
At the heart of the hotel lies the mesmerising Ice Lobby, where a breathtaking art installation commands the space, bursting with avant-garde splendor. Within its crystalline embrace lies renditions of Lancôme’s modern icons that emerge like frozen treasures, shimmering with elegance. Encircling the majestic masterpiece, the Lancôme Génifique Ultimate takes its place as a radiant jewel within an unexpected and playful product discovery zone. Here, art and beauty converge in a harmonious dance, inviting guests into an immersive world of innovation and artful expression.
An explosion of art, innovation and icons at the impressive ice mountain installation spotlighted at the Ice Lobby; the Lancôme Génifique Ultimate takes centrestage
Ice Absolue Bar
Rooted in its storied heritage, Lancôme takes inspiration from the Domaine de la Rose, its enchanting new home that is birthplace to its new Absolue Les Parfums. In a poetic reimagining, the beloved Rose on the Moon scent from the new fragrance line is transformed into a delicate and delectable vanilla-flavoured bingsu at the Ice Absolue Bar, evoking a true sense of place and indulgence through one of Korea’s favourite sweet treats. For the first time ever in L’Oreal Travel Retail history, Lancôme elevates this sensory journey with an on-site bingsu chef, bringing the sophistication of fine dining to the experience, mirroring the opulence of a luxury hotel. It’s the first time ever that Incheon airport hosts this type of experience.
Tantalising and skillfully crafted by an on-site chef, the Rose on the Moon bingsu arouses a Korea sense of place with a fine dining experience at the Ice Absolue Bar
Best-in-Class Service and Gifting
Cocooned in a semi-private space, the VIP Ice Beauty Salon extends made-to-measure skin diagnostics through the Lancôme Skin Screen, the brand’s most advanced skin analysis service. As they check out of their Rose Ice-Hotel experience at the Ice Bon Voyage Gift Shop, travellers can explore the various limited-edition sets, all enveloped in Cai Guo-Qiang’s exclusive Paris Rose artwork.
The luxurious hotel experience culminates with service and gifting that is second to none – a personalised skin analysis consultation at the VIP Ice Beauty Salon and a final stop at the Ice Bon Voyage Gift Shop
On the historic unveil, Linda Wang, General Manager of Lancôme Travel Retail Asia Pacific shared, “Lancôme’s 90th anniversary is an opportune moment for us to honour our legacy, celebrate our heritage and reaffirm our ambition to be the most irresistible beauty brand. We look to deepen brand synergies, with a focus on elevated experiences and innovation for travellers worldwide.”
A Strategic Pentarchy Collaboration
Bringing Lancôme’s Rose Ice-Hotel to life was the unprecedented pentarchy conquest – a collaboration of five partners including Lancôme, The Shilla Duty Free, The Shilla Hotels & Resorts, Naver and Kakao to create a Korean ecosystem aimed at taking Korean and Chinese frequent independent travellers on a holistic consumer journey that transcends the retail experience.
Layering onto the strong digital and CRM partnership, the alliance tapped The Shilla Duty Free’s database, as well as its expertise in local social media platforms Naver and Kakao, strategically and specifically targeting Korean frequent independent travellers from their pre-trip to in-trip journey. Beyond the airport environment, L’Oreal Travel Retail APAC’s pioneer collaboration with The Shilla Hotels & Resorts through Lancôme’s milestone event was a significant traffic driver to The Shilla Duty Free.
“It was the strategic and concerted effort between all five major partners that made Lancôme’s Rose Ice-Hotel a reality. This partnership not only enhances our commitment to delivering exceptional beauty experiences for travellers but also reflects our innovative approach to connecting with consumers across multiple channels. We aim to redefine the travel retail landscape, providing convenience and luxury to beauty enthusiasts globally,” says Jesus Abia, Managing Director of L’Oreal Travel Retail Asia Pacific.
“This milestone highlights Lancôme’s rich heritage in beauty and reaffirms The Shilla Duty Free’s commitment to offering our customers unique and memorable shopping experiences. Together, we aim to create a vibrant celebration that showcases the artistry and innovation that defines Lancôme while enhancing the travel retail landscape for beauty enthusiasts around the world,” says Changha Shin, Head of Merchandising, Shilla Travel Retail.
