Touchpoints for Lasting Impressions

A table with bakery items including croissants, chocolate croissants, and pastries, along with napkins and a sign for Café Laura Mercier in Austin, Texas.

Client
Foster ATX × Laura Mercier
Year
2025

A shopping bag hanging on a door handle. The bag is brown with white text reading 'LAURA MERCIER PARIS | NEW YORK.' The door is painted dark blue with a gold doorknob and lock.
Two women standing in front of a wooden wall with the text 'LAURA MERCIER Reset at The Ranch' displayed behind them. They are wearing beige caps with the Laura Mercier logo. One woman has long blonde hair and is making a playful face with pursed lips, while the other woman has curly dark hair, is smiling, and adjusting her cap.

INSPIRATION

When Foster ATX, the experiential agency known for crafting immersive brand moments, partnered with luxury beauty house Laura Mercier, they envisioned experiences that felt effortless yet intentional.

For both events, the goal was simple: create moments that felt human, personal, and luxurious without overt branding. Every product needed to tell a quiet story of refinement, tying back to Laura Mercier’s ethos of “effortless artistry.”

Four white baseball caps hanging on hooks on a dark green wall with small white labels above each cap.
People gathered for an outdoor dinner event under string lights, with a long dining table, floral centerpieces, and soft candle lighting, on a patio with a stone building and green trees in the background.
A young woman in a white dress holding shopping bags outdoors in front of a stone building with black window frames, smiling at the camera.

THE PLAN

Working closely with the Foster ATX team, Whitestone was brought in to design and produce custom branded essentials that would complement the event environment, not compete with it.

We focused on tactile details and intentional textures that seamlessly blended into the event design. Each piece was curated to feel like part of the venue itself: neutral tones, elevated materials, and understated logos that elevated the hospitality experience.

PRODUCT

EVENT 1: LAURA MERCIER BRUNCH AT AUSTIN PROPER HOTEL

A morning of soft light, coffee, and croissants was brought to life through subtle branded moments:

Empty disposable coffee cup with a lid
Icon of a closed notebook with a spine and cover.

Custom food paper, pastry bags, napkins, and cups with lids to tie the brand into the culinary touchpoints.

Minimalist notebooks and eurototes designed for guests to take home, balancing practicality and elegance.

A person holding a white paper cup of coffee with latte art, wearing a beige or light-colored coat.
Close-up of white paper with handwritten text indicating 'Café Laurier, Laura Mercer, Austin, Texas,' and silver tongs resting on the paper.

EVENT 2: HUDSON VALLEY INFLUENCER EVENT

Building on the success of the Austin brunch, Whitestone created a cohesive product suite for the next event in upstate New York:

Soft-structured dad hats and hydration bottles for daily use.

Simple line drawing of a baseball cap or hat

Plush robes embroidered with delicate tonal branding for in-room gifting.

Outline illustration of a coat or jacket with a collar and front pockets.

Custom notebooks and gift bags designed to mirror the serene, rustic aesthetic of the venue.

Outline of a shopping bag with handles.
A woman in a white bathrobe relaxes on a wooden lounge chair with white cushions, holding a glass with a drink. She is indoors against a stone wall, and there are various personal care products and a small flower arrangement on a wooden table beside her.
A gray upholstered couch with a clipboard, a notebook, a pen, and some paper resting on it.
A wooden wall with a sign that reads 'LAURA MERCIER' and 'Reset at The Ranch'. Below the sign, there are beige caps hanging from hooks labeled with small tags.

RESULTS

Both events exemplified the power of subtlety in branded experiences.

The Austin Brunch became a standout activation for Laura Mercier, so much so that the brand immediately re-engaged Foster ATX and Whitestone for their next retreat. The Hudson Valley Retreat continued the partnership’s momentum, showcasing how thoughtful design and premium merchandise can amplify ambience without ever feeling commercial.

A woman sitting on a wooden bench inside a wood-paneled sauna with large windows, wearing a white robe, holding a drink, looking outside, with a scenic view of green trees and a lake
A close-up of a small, beige paper box with elegant black cursive text reading 'Café Laurent Mercier Austin, Texas'. The box is sitting on a stack of white papers or napkins on a dark surface.

PHOTOGRAPHY & VENDORS

AUSTIN BRUNCH

@lauramercier   @fosteratx   @laurenkwalden   @austinproperhotel   @lootrentals   @gypsyfloral   @avecmode   @soul.matter.studio   @amandareiddesigns   @miacarameros   @rumi.lane   @creaturecoffeeco   @whitestonebranding

HUDSON VALLEY RETREAT

@lauramercier   @fosteratx   @masha.photo   @theranchhudsonvalley   @partyrentalltd   @justin_reis   @rumi.lane   @williethewayfarer   @shopmosaicly   @iav_nj   @whitestone_branding