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 Ms. Bieber.
“I love the Bieber family, Bieber franchise — I’m here for it!” exclaimed Haleigh Francis. Like hundreds of others who descended on SoHo on Monday, Ms. Francis was hoping to be among the first to experience the “pocket-sized” pop-up put on by Ms. Bieber’s popular makeup and skin care brand, Rhode.
At 11 a.m., Rhode opened its doors to the public, who were invited to buy tubes of peptide lip balm for $18 apiece or a set of six mini-blushes for $130, among other skin care items.
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, Ms. 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, Ms. 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.
