Lush launches new spa

Last Friday, Lush founder Mark Constantine unveiled the company’s new spa in Chelsea – and told us he’s planning on opening another seven over the next 12 months. With the economy in freefall, we ask Constantine: “Are you mad?”

“This is a time when people desperately need to be spoilt,” says Constantine. “The recession is an opportunity for companies such as Lush to be creative. And frankly, launching a few spas is far cheaper than opening another 50 stores.”

The first Lush spas were trialled in Kingston and Poole. The company opened its Chelsea-based flagship spa in the basement of its Kings Road store, converting existing space over the course of two months. Leeds is next on the hit list.

Constantine, who founded the cosmetics brand with his wife Mo and now has shops in 43 countries around the world, says people are at their most creative between the ages of 55-75. “I’m 56 now. I want Lush to be like Apple in terms of innovation. It’s important for us to be vibrant and do new things, whatever the climate.

"Put it this way, in my long history of running this business, today is the first time I’ve been interviewed by Vogue!”

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