With the motto “glitter not litter,” Submission burst onto the scene in 2021 with a mission to inject clean cosmetics with a more experimental and artistic-driven twist. A 100% plastic-free brand, the company debuted with a line of biodegradable and plant-based glitters made from eucalyptus tree-derived cellulose. Orders are shipped using recyclable, recycled, and biodegradable materials to further lessen its carbon footprint. The company also launched with an editorial platform to highlight beauty’s environmental impact and unique voices contributing to the broader conversation around beauty.
"I really want to elevate sustainable brands because I couldn't find one that spoke to my aesthetic and style while still doing good for our bodies and environment. I wanted Submission to be something that looks beautiful but, at the same time, you are buying into a community and part of something that actually makes a difference," founder Zenia Jaeger, whose background spans beauty publishing and makeup artistry, told BeautyMatter at the time of launch.
Since then, the company has stayed true to its ethos of environmental-mindedness by only launching three additional products: a multifunctional plant-based balm, limited-edition upcycled T-shirts, and a 100% recycled pre-consumer cotton tote. Now it has opened its brick-and-mortar flagship store in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood, an area known for its trendy but equally nature-adjacent and suburban feel—a fitting location given the fact that this could possibly equate to a more eco-conscious consumer who also has more time to spend in-store than a shopper rushing through the more metropolitan areas of the city. Aside from its own DTC presence, Submission has found a home at buzzy outlets like Browns Fashion, Farfetch, The Odder Side, and Salon, but this marks its first stand-alone concept.
“The launch of our flagship store in LA is a major milestone for Submission. It is the very first brick-and-mortar shop we can call our own, enabling in-person engagement with our customers, like-minded businesses, the neighborhood of Silver Lake, and the city at large,” Jaeger tells BeautyMatter. “It’s so valuable to connect with our community face-to-face, both to share our vision and mission with them and to have their insights and perspectives guide our growth. Beauty is ultimately about human connection, and having a welcoming physical space now lets us explore that in a whole new dimension.”
In recent times there has been a boom in exciting retail concepts that blend products/service offerings and lifestyle components, be they from Credo, Ever/Body, or Officine Universelle Buly. As physical retail has rebounded from the pandemic in full force, brands need to go beyond an immaculately kept space of shelves and displays, instead fully exploring the possibility of experiential retail and branding through an aesthetically driven cosmos that encourages the visitor to explore a company’s essence and sparks inspiration as much as it does the desire to shop. 84% of US consumers are most likely to make repeat trips to a store with a pleasant atmosphere, and 70% see sustainable practices and products as important when choosing to visit a physical store. 71% of consumers worldwide shop more in-store now than pre-pandemic.
Located at 3021 Rowena Avenue, Submission’s shop sits comfortably among other like-minded boutiques such as nature collective and community hub Usal, as well as local art gallery Marta. For its opening night on May 26, the brand hosted an evening with live jazz and free flash tattoos for visitors to indulge in, alongside refreshments from kombucha spirits brand JuneShine and clean craft cocktail company Vervet. “Our grand opening celebration perfectly captured the atmosphere we strive to cultivate. The energy was electric and spirits were high from start to finish, and one couldn’t help but feel an optimistic enthusiasm about the future of the store and its community,” Jaeger notes.
The space was designed completely in-house. A colorful store, with walls painted in pastel blue and pink tones, bursting with fresh flowers and native succulent plants presented in intricately designed vases, it has an otherwise sleek presence. The different colorways of Submission glitters are presented in chromographic order in glass containers on a wooden shelf, while the product testers of its six glitter colorways and multipurpose balm rest atop mirrored Art Deco-esque countertop surfaces, which further add to the modern feel.
Continuing Submission’s ethos of wanting to further conversations around beauty, the environment, and creative culture, the store contains repurposed furnishings, is painted in plastic-free paint, and also sells secondhand books, upcycled home goods, and other resources focusing on artful environmentalism. Put simply, in true Submission fashion, it’s inspiring without being excessive or wasteful.
“It was super important to me and my team that every element of our space be thoughtfully designed. We wanted the store to feel like an oasis. The space represents so much hard work, and it is truly a labor of love. Getting our hands dirty during the buildout gives us a much deeper connection to, and respect for, the space itself,” Jaeger adds. “In addition to the shop, there is a private workspace as well, so it was key that the entire environment be conducive to both tranquility and productivity. We could not be more proud with the results, and can’t wait to share it with a wider base of customers and curious newcomers.”
From day one, Submission has emphasized an approach that displays high attention to detail in the entire production process. As the company states, it “is looking to challenge the entire industry ecosystem, from supply chains to consumer behaviors, drawing attention to the harms plastic can pose to both the human body and the environment.” Products and packaging are one side of that coin, reducing waste in the retail space is another, and as always, Submission is helping to lead the pack in a drive to enjoy beauty without damaging ourselves or our surroundings in the process.
