EXPLORA JOURNEYS INTRODUCES A UNIQUE ONBOARD RETAIL EXPERIENCE
Geneva, Switzerland, 23 March 2023: Explora Journeys is delighted to announce that EXPLORA I will offer a truly distinctive retail experience called The Journey.
Inspired by the ‘Ocean State of Mind’ and influenced by the destinations the ship will visit, The Journey redefines the shopping experience at sea. More than just a place to browse and buy, it is a journey of discovery, consciousness and craftsmanship with provenance. These qualities are reflected in a truly stunning collection of more than 30 of the finest artisanal brands. What they all share is a commitment to caring for the planet and its people. Each and every item selected for The Journey is a celebration of creativity, passion and the power of discovery, each with its own magical story to tell. The offering will include items exclusively designed for Explora Journeys and only available onboard EXPLORA I.
Explora Journeys is committed to partnering with brands that mirror its commitment to sustainable practices and environmental consciousness. The Journey is the first retail offer at sea that actively looks for partners with relevant official documentation, such as B Corp Certification or The Butterfly Mark, thereby guaranteeing a sustainable approach to their production practices.
Adrian Pittaway, Head of Retail at Explora Journeys, comments: “The design of our retail spaces befits the beauty of the items they will offer. Carefully designed for a calm and relaxing shopping experience, the spotlight always shines on the chosen brands, products, their provenances and stories. The knowledgeable service of our Explora Journeys hosts will be complemented by founders and designers who will accompany our guests on their journey to the Ocean State of Mind.”
A carefully selected collection of sensorial fragrances and skincare, beautifully designed ready-to-wear and timeless accessories, homeware and gifts, and the finest food and drink reflects Explora Journeys’ focus on small, niche, luxury brands that prioritise sustainability. At the heart of the production process of each of the brands are natural materials many of which are recycled and regenerative. Design and craftmanship are infused with the passion, creativity, local influences and inspirational stories of the artisans and artists who have created these one-of-a-kind products.
Born in Geneva, the epicentre of luxury goods, and Switzerland, the birthplace of luxury hospitality, The Journey is true to its European heritage, proudly offering a selection of the best niche Swiss brands. Caran d'Ache, Dr. Levy, Pink Maharani and Zimmerli echo the same ethos of care and consideration for people and planet as are espoused by Explora Journeys. Additional iconic luxury brands complementing The Journey`s assortment will be announced soon.
Welcome to The Journey.
Sensorial Fragrances & Skincare
Regionally inspired, the carefully selected niche fragrances and precious natural skincare brands offer an unforgettable sensory experience:
Fueguia 1833: A luxury brand from Patagonia founded by Julian Bedel, Fueguia 1833 is a distinctive concept in the universe of niche perfumery that is synonymous with craftsmanship, innovation, exotism and sustainability. The Fueguia 1833 Botany is a 50-acre plantation in Uruguay, where plants native to South America are grown and distilled sustainably. The brand produces only a limited series of 400 bottles of fragrance per batch, using the finest natural ingredients available at the time of production.
Memo Paris: This Parisian fragrance brand, founded by Clara Molloy and husband John, recreates the olfactory map to reflect a sensitive world rich in emotions. They are made from the finest quality, natural ingredients and inspired by the founders’ travels to far-flung corners of the world. Memo Fragrances are also characterized by a vintage twist; it can be seen in the Nomadic Leathers collection, a subtle nod to the antique leather cases and luggage that recall the stylish travel of yesteryear.
Floraïku: Inspired by Asian refinement, beauty and attention to detail, these three fragrances are each named after a Japanese haiku (poems of 17 syllables, precisely arranged in three lines) that were written by the brand’s co-founder, who is also a poet. Floraïku fragrances pay homage to ceremonies that are an intrinsic part of Asian culture, where flowers, teas and incenses play a major role. They are composed in the same way, with precious natural ingredients harmoniously blended to create fragrances that are delicate and respectful of nature.
Room 1015: Room 1015 is the brainchild of Michael Partouche aka Dr. Mike, who brings his French Phd in Pharmacology and years as a guitar player in London rock bands to create vibrant music-inspired fragrances. "Treating the illness of 'anonymity' with powerful scented potions, bandaging vacant souls with perfumes featuring perfect accords, countering the effects of the passing time with indelible trails."
Le Jardin Retrouvé: Founded in 1975, Le Jardin Retrouvé was a pioneer in the world of niche perfumery, the fruit of the avant-garde vision of its creator, Yuri Gutsatz. In 2016, his son Michel Gutsatz and artist wife Clara Feder relaunched the brand, thereby reviving an extraordinary heritage with a focus on authenticity, sustainability and eco-responsibility. Each fragrance represents the gates of a garden, where natural, pure ingredients comprise between 93% and 97% of each fragrance.
PH Fragrances: One of the first sustainable luxury niche brands – founded by Camille Le Feuvre with exceptional natural scents, each PH Fragrances perfume features two of the most beautiful ingredients used in perfumery. These are drawn from a range that includes Mohéli ylang ylang, Haitian vetiver and Bulgarian rose, each created by master perfumers in Grasse, France. The amber glass laboratory bottles recall vintage apothecary remedies, an homage to the traditional craftsmanship and savoir-faire of French perfumery.
Une Nuit Nomade: These extraordinary fragrances represent French elegance, storytelling, and a traveller’s love of changing landscapes. They offer an invitation to step into the unknown, to become an ‘olfactory wanderer’ and sail towards a new world where old habits are left behind, returning enriched by the experience. The brand is a call to a unique sensory experience, where nature and luxury are inseparable.
Luce di Sorrento: Conceived in Sorrento, among the world’s most famous lemon and olive groves on terraces that slope to the sea, Luce di Sorrento is the outcome of a long research project involving functional dermocosmetics. The goal by founder Giovanna Adelizzi, was to create an innovative, high-quality treatment that helps to counteract the effects of time, producing a visibly younger and more radiant skin. All the products are made with LemonLux®, an incredible blend of science and nature made from the Sorrento Lemon Essential Oil PGI and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO, rare and precious ingredients that can slow down the ageing progress.
Dr. Levy: This Geneva-based family company, one of Europe’s most prestigious aesthetics clinics, is headed by dermatologist Dr. Phillip Levy. Using only uncontroversial ingredients that are up to 95% natural origin and 100% certified vegan and cruelty free, Dr. Levy is a leader in stem cell and epigenetic biotechnologies. The brand will also be part of the Explora Journeys Ocean Wellness SPA offering.
Soley Organics: Founded in 2007, by Icelandic actress Sóley Elíasdóttir. Sóley’s great-great-grandmother, Thorunn, was a particular inspiration to her building Sóley Organics. Thorunn, or Grasa-Thorunn as she was better known, was a healer and midwife. There are many stories about the lives she saved using her knowledge of herbs. The active ingredients in Sóley Organics products are wild Icelandic herbs from certified organic lands all around Iceland, made with handpicked wild organic herbs. Their products are then made in a tiny village of 300 people that stands between the short northern fjord and the foot of a mountain named Kaldbakur.
Effortless Ready-to-wear
Offering unparalleled ease and effortless style, this curated collection of knitwear, resortwear, activewear and loungewear for men and women is designed to optimise confidence and comfort:
Kampos: This luxury clothing and swimwear brand is based in Sardinian Emerald Coast. Kampos is a byword for integrity, conscience and beauty. Its product range is entirely sustainable, made in Italy from recycled plastic bottles, abandoned fishing nets and other organic materials. The company donates part of its revenues to the Coral Reef Restoration project in the Maldives.
North Sails: A member of the Fashion Pact global coalition of leading companies committed to climate change and protecting the oceans, North Sails is an innovative Italian technical and lifestyle outerwear brand. With exploration, innovation and conservation as its core values, the company supports the ocean’s biodiversity and ecosystems through partnerhip with Coral Gardeners, a group of activists and engineers who work to restore damaged coral reefs.
Allagiulia: ‘Friulane’ shoes were first invented in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, north-eastern Italy, in the 1800s, where they were traditionally worn by brides, well-dressed party guests and Venetian gondoliers. In 2010, Italian shoe designer Giulia Campeol was inspired to recreate them for 21st-century life. She captures the appeal of the originals by using beautiful fabrics, both vintage and modern, and luxurious trims that give uniqueness to each pair.
Save The Duck: Italian entrepreneur Foresto Bargi started sewing men’s jackets in 1914. In 2012, the third generation of the family created the Save the Duck brand with a strong commitment to offer a product to consumers that is respectful of animals, people and the environment. Save The Duck is the first B Corp Certified luxury outerwear Italian brand, the embodiment of next-generation outerwear that is made without the use of animal products.
Zimmerli: The Swiss luxury underwear brand is renowned for using only the finest fabrics and natural fibres, and abiding by superior production standards. Established in 1871, sustainability and research are part of the brand’s DNA, while its elaborate cut gives a perfect fit and seams lie soft against the skin to ensure the highest standards of comfort and quality. Zimmerli produces classics that endure and are loved by its devotees.
Waimari: Sustainably handmade in Colombia, Waimari’s chic, timeless pieces demonstrate exquisite craftsmanship and effortless femininity. The brand story started with two sisters, Stephanie and Catalina, who wanted to rescue the family factory that had been founded in the 1980s. Today, at their atelier in Barranquilla, they combine traditional heritage with modern production techniques and a socially responsible philosophy, working with local artisans and communities to develop limited-edition pieces and sought-after lines. Made for the modern traveller, every piece has a story behind it, with each item handcrafted by a group of female artisans, many of whom are the main source of income for their families.
Timeless Accessories
Scarves, bags, eyewear, small leather goods and lifestyle accessories are crafted to perfection and designed to last a lifetime:
Pink Maharani: Founded in Geneva in 2014 by Narmada Ramakrishna, Pink Maharani offers superb artisanal products handmade by more than 150 artisans in India, Peru, Bhutan, Nepal and Cambodia; yet it still remains true to its roots and the traditional wisdom passed down through generations. The brand specialises in womens empowerment through handwoven, ethical cashmere products and supports the weavers’ families with social projects that provide improved security and livelihoods.
Aaks: This handcrafted, ethical luxury accessories brand from Kumasi, Ghana, was founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi to showcase the handcrafted weaving techniques of Ghanese women. The objective was to increase awareness of eco-sensitive production processes and encourage sustainable consumption in the fashion world. The brand creates luxury handbags in styles that seek to promote the perception of weaving as an art form, accentuated with the bright exuberant colours of Africa.
Fold: Created by Vanessa Roux who set out to ‘have it all’, a Fold bag is pared-back and understated, with minimal stitching and almost no hardware, and uses leather of exceptional quality. Every item is handcrafted in France by talented artisans with unparalleled experience in leathercrafts. The leathers are sourced from the most famous French tanneries that supply the top names in the luxury industry.
Borsalino: This brand has been making hats in Alessandria since 1857 and is a recognised ambassador for Italian know-how all over the world. It takes seven weeks to make a felt hat and requires more than 40 operations performed by hand. In 1930, the Hollywood cinema adopted Borsalino hats as cult objects, a relationship that was destined to last.
Moscot: Optical expertise accumulated for more than a 100 years by five generations of the same New York has given the world the luxury eyewear brand, Moscot. Combining its ultra-refined aesthetic with unparalleled craftmanship to create truly unique eyewear, it is the wide variety of authentic, original styles and the vintage detailing in the frames that are at the core of Moscot’s brand pillars of timelessness.
L.G.R: This eyewear collection is handmade in Italy by three artisanal families who build each frame from start to finish to create wonderfully elegant optical glasses and sunglasses. The brand is rooted in the vision of its founder, Luca Gnecchi Ruscone, and combines traditional Italian methods of craftsmanship and modern lens technology with a story that goes back to Africa: It was a visit to the optical store in Eritrea, once owned by his grandfather who had lived there for 40 years, and the discovery of an old box of sunglasses, that inspired his grandson to start making them in 2007.
Maui Jim: Inspired by the beauty and culture of Maui, this brand was originally designed to protect eyes from intense sunlight. It has gained a global cult following for its unparalleled ‘Aloha spirit’, customer service, and the advanced patented lens technology that blocks 100% of harmful UV rays, eliminating glare while enhancing colour, clarity and detail. Maui Jim sunglasses have earned the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation for their highly effective UV filter that guards the eyes and surrounding skin.
Homeware & Gifts
Inspired by a sense of the home as a sanctuary, this range brings style, comfort and functionality to every room.
Bottega Conticelli: Internationally renowned for the artisanal excellence associated with ‘Made In Italy’, Bottega Conticelli was founded in 2007 in Umbria. Its founder Stefano Conticelli, an artist and designer, personifies its creative spirit. His work is characterised by the highest quality materials, innovative techniques, and an uniquely eclectic style. Original collections in limited editions have been produced in collaboration with world-famous chefs such as Davide Oldani, Alain Ducasse, Filippo La Mantia and Emanuele Mazzella.
Caran d’Ache: With a priceless heritage of expertise, Maison Caran d’Ache has been designing and producing exceptional products in its Geneva workshops for more than 100 years, faithful to the reputation of the ‘Swiss Made’ label. Behind each of the drawing and writing instruments is a group of passionate craftspeople, all custodians of unique, century-old techniques.
Assouline: Since its beginnings in 1994, Assouline has been dedicated to creating books that are as informative as they are beautiful works of art. The passion and attention to detail are similar to that found in an haute couture atelier. Known worldwide for bringing luxury to the publishing industry, Assouline produces one-of-a-kind books on fashion, art, architecture, photography, design and travel, weaving ‘art de vivre’ into every publication. The artisanship and craft behind the Assouline name produces books that are appreciated by everyone, whether casual readers or true connoisseurs.
Loqi: Much loved, strong and durable, OEKO-TEX® certified, and made from 100% recycled GreenCircle-certified materials, Loqi is known for the striking designs, exceptional quality, and state-of-the-art printing showcased in its amazing reusable bags. Each design starts a conversation, captures a mood, suits a specific occasion and connects people.
The Bespoke Company: Manufactured exclusively in Spain, Italy and France, The Bespoke Company uses only the finest Italian leather and cotton canvas in its fully customised creations – small bags and accessories in particular. The brand has been awarded a CSR (Ecovadis) rating for its sustainability management.
The Finest Food & Drinks
Savour the essence of travels in conjunction with our Expert Culinary team through the finest food and beverages, carefully selected to showcase small producers, unforgettable flavours and unique stories. More details to be revealed soon.