Updated: Nov 21, 2023
[2023.11.15 Peachi Design Diary]
Artistic Fragrance & Personal Care Brand "RboW" (PDD77)
RboW is one of my personal trio of Korean niche artistic fragrance and personal care brands along with Tamburins and Nonfiction. They all captivate attention with their minimalistic design and artistic fashion, showcasing the enchanting fusion of art and beauty.
RboW 'Night & Forest' Exhibition, December 2021
RboW, abbreviated from Rainbow, was founded in April 2020.
The name represents the universally beloved natural phenomenon, and its founder is Sohyung Kim, the former director of the contemporary gallery Gana Art, one of South Korea's earliest established major art galleries. Currently serving as the director of LAiK, she introduces domestic and international creators' ceramics and lifestyle products. Sohyung also holds the position of Creative Director at Print Bakery, a new brand under Seoul Auction, introducing limited edition prints of art masters through monthly art exhibitions. Utilizing her ten years of experience as the director of Gana Art and Seoul Auction, Sohyung created the brand RboW. She observed that while there are thousands of cosmetic brands worldwide, few are associated with art.
"I wanted to make art more accessible to the general public," explains Sohyung. "There are many examples of collaborations between the art and fashion industries, but not so much in the beauty industry. Through the beauty industry, I saw a medium through which art could be shared with more people, and that's why RboW was born."
To spread art in various ways, she aimed to externalize her favorite art into a cosmetics brand and hoped that this brand would be shared by more people. RboW, starting with art, has successively launched fragrances, beauty, and body care products.
"Every piece of artwork starts from a white canvas, and that's our beginning," says Sohyung. "Then, we collaborate with Korean artists like Eddie Kang and JH.Seo to give new dimensions to some of our products."
RboW's minimalist packaging design, predominantly black and white, is adorned with abstract lines and graffiti. Through collaborations with different artists, it becomes a bridge between art and beauty, evident in their distinctive external packaging. Sohyung remarks, "If it weren't for the pandemic, I would like to introduce RboW through various art exhibitions."
Currently, RboW's product lineup includes perfumes, scented candles, hand wash, lip balm, hand cream, and more. Additionally, they offer handcrafted items like bags, keychains, carpets, artistic mugs, and home decor. Among these, fragrances and hand creams are the most well-known, with the bathing series also gaining popularity.
While trying to uncover interesting stories behind each product's creative concept, no significant narratives were found. The brand suggests that the forms symbolize street culture graffiti and freehand drawing. This abstract art allows for individual interpretations, appreciating the beauty of form and structure.
It must be said that RboW and Tamburins follow very similar paths. They pursue perfection, emphasizing clean beauty to provide the safest and gentlest skincare experience for sensitive skin. Store displays are dedicated to artistic efforts, featuring unique art installations, audiovisuals, and decorative paintings, seamlessly integrating products into art galleries and creating a brand image with a strong artistic sensibility.
The brand's pursuit of aesthetics is presented through various artistic means, hosting periodic art-themed showrooms to provide consumers with an experience akin to visiting galleries or art museums. They aim to develop the brand into a medium where art and beauty can coexist and interconnect. Making cosmetics artistic allows people to experience art through beauty products.
Images are sourced from the official website and Instagram. For those interested, more information can be found at:
https://rbowofficial.com
https://www.instagram.com/rbow_official
And that concludes this edition. Stay tuned for more from Peachi Design Diary!