THE WHAT? Sephora has announced that its SEPHORiA: House of Beauty event will take place as a hybrid virtual and in-person event this year. The LVMH-owned retailer’s annual exhibition was held originally as an in-person event before switching to a virtual platform during and following the pandemic.

THE DETAILS The show is due to take place on September 29 through 30 with a live ticketed event in New York City and includes new and innovative programming with the virtual experience featuring an immersive customisable 3D gaming-like platform.

More than 50 brands have signed up to take part, including Drunk Elephant, Yves Saint Laurent, NARS, Tom Ford, Pat McGrath Labs and Caudalie.

THE WHY? Jessica Stacey, SVP External Communications, Event & Experiential Marketing at Sephora, explains, “We are beyond thrilled to introduce the latest iteration of SEPHORiA with our first-ever hybrid experience, including an in-person event in New York City. Falling within our 25th Anniversary year in the US, this event marks an exciting milestone and serves as both a celebration of our past and a nod to our future, as well as a symbol of the remarkable benefits of being a cherished member of Sephora’s community. While we’re grateful for the return to an in-person experience, we also recognize the importance of making these events inclusive and broadly accessible to our global beauty community and will do so with free virtual components that are equally enriching. We can’t wait to debut our biggest event endeavor yet and deliver on an unforgettable beauty experience in partnership with many of the world’s best brands.”