After bringing her 24-karat gold ear seed acupuncture treatment to shoppers at five Neiman Marcus locations early this month, Vie Healing founder Mona Dan will soon be rolling out her line of wellness and self-care products at the luxury retailer.
Dan, an acupuncturist known for offering unique holistic beauty and wellness treatments such as auricular acupuncture and facial cupping at her Beverly Hills spa, was invited to participate in a series of experiential pop-up events that were part of Neiman Marcus’s Idea Factory, the department store company’s initiative trying out edgy concepts and products in select locations. “The clientele were very enthusiastic and excited with the new offerings and approach,” Dan shares about her Idea Factory event experience. “It gave Neimans a very social atmosphere. Everyone was excited and very intrigued.”
Vie Healing was involved in Idea Factory events at stores in Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Beverly Hills and Atlanta. Beyond providing her auricular acupuncture services, Dan was also able to sell her products at the pop-up events. “We sold our entire range of products through pre-order forms,” she explains. Other experiences not traditional for department stores that were available to customers making qualifying purchases at Idea Factory happenings included piercings by Brian Keith Thomson of Electric Tattoo, rhinestone customization by Ev Bravado and hand-tied bouquets by florist Flower Gals. A second phase of the Idea Factory project is expected to spring into action in September.
“Idea Factory is an incubator for introducing fresh ideas that will broaden our narrative beyond fashion and reimagine how our customers experience our stores and discover brands that inspire them,” said Ed Burstell, senior vice president of product innovation at Neiman Marcus Group, in a statement about Idea Factory. The initiative came on the heels of Neiman Marcus’s ShopTheExpo collaboration with Indie Beauty Media Group, which encompassed 20 independent beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands that premiered on the retailer’s e-commerce platform and North Park location in January.
The in-store Idea Factory events marked Vie Healing’s debut at a department store retailer. Neiman Marcus is giving the brand a national presence that it’s been lacking in distribution to date. “I feel so fortunate with this new relationship we’ve built,” says Dan. “Not only are they just like family, but they are a dream to work with.”
Dan launched the Vie Healing product line in April 2017 with three varieties of loose leaf teas and corresponding supplements based on traditional Chinese medicine to address mood, stress and detoxification. In February this year, Dan added herb-infused bath salts, handcrafted Turkish Sabun coffee, clay and nettle soaps, Havlu Turkish towels, and bundled sage, palo santo and selenite to the mix. Neiman Marcus will carry Vie Healing’s full assortment with the exception of the towels in its online shop as well as at pop-up events and select doors across the country. “We are thrilled to be adding holistic lifestyle brand Vie Healing into select stores and online, since we recently hosted in-store activations with the founder Mona Dan and the brand,” says Jennifer Robinson, associate dmm of beauty at Neiman Marcus. “Vie Healing is just another option Neiman Marcus offers for those seeking restoration and wellness.”
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