L’Oréal Groupe has officially opened its North America Research & Innovation (R&I) Center in Clark, New Jersey. 

Representing a $160 million investment, the nearly 250,000-square-foot facility is L’Oréal’s largest R&I center outside of France and underscores its long-term commitment to the U.S. market, economy, and workforce. Construction of the center began in 2022, while full-scale operations commenced in February. 

The R&I Center will play a key role in developing L’Oréal’s American brands, including Maybelline, CeraVe, Redken, and Kiehl’s. Notable features of the facility include a 26,000-square-foot modular laboratory, a consumer co-creation center that accommodates up to 400 daily participants for product testing, and an on-site mini factory for scaling final formulations before full production.

“The U.S. plays a defining role in shaping the future of beauty. With its diverse and demanding consumers and world-leading innovation ecosystem, it is the ideal environment to drive our vision forward,” said Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO of L’Oréal Groupe, in charge of research, innovation, and technology.

“This center embodies L’Oréal’s uniquely end-to-end innovation model, from upstream Advanced Research on new breakthrough ingredients to the downstream development of formulas ready for scale-up to deliver high-performance, safe, and responsible beauty solutions.”

The facility joins L’Oréal’s global R&I hubs in France, Brazil, South Africa, India, China, and Japan. It will employ more than 600 scientists, engineers, and researchers. The center will also collaborate with leading academic institutions, biotech firms, and startups to drive advancements in sustainability, inclusivity, and personalization across skin tones, hair types, and beauty preferences.

“The grand opening of our research center in New Jersey represents a transformative new chapter in L’Oréal’s storied history in the United States,” added David Greenberg, CEO of L’Oréal USA and president of the North America zones. 

“This investment will enable us to pioneer groundbreaking product innovations for American consumers that anticipate global market needs. And we’re not simply creating products; we’re building a prosperous future of economic growth, powered by American talent.”

Balenciaga launched on Friday a Brand Ambassador Fanclub Series, featuring a lineup of global icons, including Isabelle Huppert, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Nicole Kidman, and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn.

The series includes T-shirts in Balenciaga’s signature shrunk and boxy fits, alongside a ribbed tank top available in red, white, black, and blue.

As part of the campaign, each celebrity ambassador captured a selfie wearing their corresponding t-shirts, first unveiled as part of the Balenciaga’s Fall 25 collection.

The collection draws inspiration from vintage fanclub merchandise, presenting aged figurative artwork that pays homage to the brand’s ambassadors. Each piece features the ambassador’s printed signature on the back, mimicking the effect of a hand-signed autograph. 

The t-shirts retail for $825 and are now available for sale on balenciaga.com.