When Rhode was founded in 2022 by a group that included Hailey Bieber, the model and influencer, it was just another beauty brand peddled by a famous face promising glowing skin, rosy cheeks and supple lips.
Those who have closely followed its trajectory since then have watched the brand become something of a unicorn: Earlier this year, E.L.F. Beauty acquired Rhode, which has a modest line of 10 products, for $1 billion.
Until this week, its toners, moisturizers and lip balms were almost exclusively sold on the brand’s website. On Thursday, its products for the first time hit a major retailer’s shelves — specifically, those at Sephora stores across the United States and Canada.
By the time the Sephora store in Times Square opened at 9 a.m. on Thursday, a winding line had already formed outside, where young women and men and their parents were waiting to see the products and pose in a branded photo booth. Among them were Sami Conrad, 20, a student from Rotorua, New Zealand, and her mother.
“Nobody at home has Rhode because it costs so much money to, like, ship it,” Ms. Conrad said, adding that she was hoping to buy some of Rhode’s Glazing Milk toner and a lip balm.
Others on the scene, like Nilakshi Karunasegaram, a student from Switzerland, were buzzing about Mrs. Bieber. “I love her,” Ms. Karunasegaram said. “I follow her on social media.”
Tarang Amin, the chief executive of E.L.F. Beauty, explained in an interview that Rhode’s success had a lot to do with Mrs. Bieber’s dedication to the brand — “Rhode is her main job,” he said — and with how, for many fans, she has made buying Rhode products seem like a way to approximate her lifestyle.
At E.L.F. Beauty, Mr. Amin oversees a portfolio that includes E.L.F. Cosmetics, Naturium and Alicia Keys’ Keys Soulcare. But none resonate quite like Rhode, which is the only brand in the E.L.F. Beauty stable sold domestically at Sephora. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a brand where consumers are willing to camp overnight for an event that Hailey is not even at,” Mr. Amin said, referring to past Rhode pop-ups.
Mrs. Bieber, 28, said in an email that some of her goals with Rhode were to build “a brand that stands on its own and for people to love it because the products are great, not just because of my involvement.”
She might be on her way to achieving them: According to Lauren Ratner, another Rhode founder and its president, Sephora’s website logged more than two million searches for the brand over the last year.
Shop Talk
This week, the Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki of Soshiotsuki received the 2025 LVMH Prize, an award that came with 400,000 euros (about $465,000) and a yearlong mentorship provided by the luxury conglomerate LVMH.
Mr. Otsuki, 35, who founded his label a decade ago, was a semifinalist for the prize in 2016. He was one of eight finalists this year, and was awarded the distinction by a jury of LVMH designers and executives. The decision was “almost unanimous,” said Delphine Arnault, the chief executive of Dior and the founder of the LVMH Prize, who was on the jury.
After the awards ceremony on Wednesday, Ms. Arnault and Mr. Otsuki, via an interpreter, spoke briefly on a call about his win and what an award like the LVMH Prize can mean for a designer today. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What makes Mr. Otsuki’s designs stand out?
DELPHINE ARNAULT He is quite creative, but also quite commercial, and the clothes are easy to sell. We were really impressed by his technique, and we thought that the products could find customers easily.
SOSHI OTSUKI I believe that for young designers, including myself, there is always a duty to be avant-garde — to shed light on aspects that are not currently seen as acceptable and to transform people’s sense of value.
What do you see as the most pressing challenge for young designers today?
OTSUKI First is financing. Running a fashion brand requires enormous resources, and without support, it is very difficult to sustain. Second, particularly in Japan, is the decline of the production infrastructure. Sewing factories are closing one after another because of a lack of demand and a shortage of skilled workers. For young designers who rely on small-lot production, this is a critical problem.
These days, when people refer to personnel changes at the top of big luxury brands, the phrase “designer musical chairs” is often used to reflect how the same names come up in conversations about filling top jobs. What is the role of the LVMH Prize in this context?
ARNAULT When I created the LVMH Prize, which is in its 12th edition this year, the aim was always to identify new talents and to help them grow, because we think it’s our responsibility at LVMH. When someone wins the prize today, I think it’s a big boost in their career. It grants them an increase in sales and a lot of visibility.