Korres opens first Middle East store in Dubai Mall

Korres owes its name to the founder of the Greek skincare brand George Korres, who while still a student started mixing natural pharmacy ingredients to create herbal preparations, natural remedies and eventually cosmetic products.

Korres Natural Products emerged in 1996 out of Athens' first ever homeopathic pharmacy where George used to work. It still remains the city's biggest pharmacy of its kind with a dedicated client following. The first Korres product was aromatic herbal syrup with honey and aniseed, a recipe inspired by 'rakomelon', a warming spirit-with-honey concoction, which George's grandfather used to favour in his hometown on the island of Naxos.

In the 120 sq.m. Korres store in Dubai Mall, old garage dexions and shiny golden mirrors; wooden palettes and fluorescent tubes; industrial and modern; cheap and expensive, all meet in the name of beauty. Super size images of the natural ingredients used in all Korres stores around the world, for the first time take over floor-to-ceiling golden mirrors, perfectly complemented by the vast white flooring and side-wall.

Once inside the store every Korres fan can instantly pick up the brand's iconic elements, while also being pleasantly surprised by the innovative forms of expression. The outcome is a tribute to the brand's trademark aesthetics based on contrasts; industrial yet luxurious, minimal yet maximal, practical yet of high gallery-like aesthetics; contrasts are also be extended to materials, through combinations of wood and metal, golden shiny surfaces and oversize prints.

"I consider myself a pharmacist, not a businessman; and Korres in my eyes - and despite being available in over 30 markets - is still a tiny Greek brand. Every time we enter a new market, I feel as honoured, proud and excited as the first time the Korres products traveled abroad. Coming to Dubai, feels extremely special because the city's phenomal growth somehow reminds me of how our own brand has evolved in its 12 year history,"

says the founder George Korres,

Korres has a vast celebrity following, stars like Scarlett Johansson, Rihanna, Drew Barrymore, Kylie Minogue, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, and David Beckham amongst others.

The first ever skincare product was the Wild Rose 24-hour cream - still a best-seller all over the world. Today the Korres portfolio includes over 500 products, featuring a complete skin, body

and hair care range, make-up, a sun care line as well as herbal preparations and nutraceutical products. All products are developed based on four groups of natural ingredients: herbs with pharmaceutical properties, Greek flora herbs, food ingredients and high-efficacy natural ingredients.

The use of specific synthetic compounds such as petroleum derivatives, silicones, propylene glycol, ethanolamines and ammonia amongst others, is avoided and replaced with equally effective, beneficial and skin friendly natural ingredients.

Korres today counts three flagship stores - London, Beijing and New York Soho along with 26 other stores in the cities of Athens, Paris, Madrid, Beijing, Istanbul, Shanghai, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Vienna and Genève amongst others.

The brand's core values remain the same as in its pharmacy days - the use of herbs and natural ingredients of the highest quality; skin and environmentally friendly products with clinically tested effectiveness; affordable for every day use yet of high-aesthetics with strong artistic direction.