Step into Orá
Anne Chang talks about Fontana’s bold new era of luxury beauty
Published:Sunday | April 13, 2025 | 12:09 AMRollesha Laing - Assistant Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor
Inside Orá by Fontana lies a space where luxury beauty isn’t just a concept, it’s an experience. Located at both Fontana Waterloo in St Andrew and Fontana Fairview in Montego Bay, this sleek beauty haven offers more than just high-end products – it’s a destination for anyone ready to indulge in a curated world of skincare, make-up, and fragrance.
While the Fontana Waterloo location has been thoughtfully renovated to house Orá, the Fontana Fairview location has a space dedicated entirely to the Orá experience. But what makes Orá stand out? CEO of Fontana Pharmacy, Anne Chang, tells The Sunday Gleaner just how a surreal concept turned into a beautiful reality.
No stranger to the beauty and retail space, the 57-year-old pharmacy-first business has, over the last decade, worked on becoming a space trusted to cater to one’s whole self-being. Having realised how their customers have responded to their offerings of international cosmetic products like Mario Badescu, Sol de Janeiro, and COSRX, they took note of the steady trend online and in-store and decided to act upon it, only this time with an elevated twist. And so, Orá by Fontana was born.
Comparing the name with the essence of aura – a reflection of self-expression and energy – Chang explained how the team eventually said yes to Orá.
“One definition of aura is how you are and what surrounds you. But aura also means giver of life, which for [us it’s] beauty and health, all being tied together, we just liked the way that it sounded. So instead of spelling it A-U-R-A, it’s actually spelt O-R-Á. We looked at many names and different languages for different words but nothing stuck. But with Orá, it was something that we felt could elevate the store. It’s short. We wanted like a short word, something that people would remember. It encompasses more than beauty, which is what we want. You don’t want to limit yourself, right?”
Unveiling just in time for the Fenty Beauty, Skin and Eau de Parfume launch, customers can expect to find stalls with a wide range of Fenty products, alonsgide luxury perfume brands like Versace, Hermes, Issey Miyake and Prada, decked on tall and sleekly branded display cases.
“Right now Fenty is the biggest offering because they have such a range which means people have so many products to try. And, this is why it was important for us to go all out for this launch as Fenty has so much to offer that appeals to so many people.” When asked which Fenty product she sees flying off the shelf, Chang immediately said the lip products because there is much to try and choose from.
From the moment customers walk in, they’re greeted with an experience that aims to excite them. Whether in-store, where they can pick up red baskets and explore, or online with the ease of ‘add to cart’, Chang’s vision is clear: this is retail therapy.
“We’re there to help them and assist them to understand each product and its uses. We’re not just looking to just sell products and push them out the door and drive up that average ticket. It’s an experience and we want them to have one,” she said.
LUXURY BEAUTY BRAND MANAGER
While Fontana has a beauty manager, Daina Dyer Degale, Chang explained that the decision was made to hire a luxury beauty brand manager specifically to focus on Orá, ensuring the brand’s elevated standards and overseeing its activations. Though the individual hasn’t been officially announced yet, Chang confirms the role is filled, and anticipation is building for what this new addition will bring to the table.
Orá isn’t available at all Fontana Pharmacy locations, Chang explained that the plan is to work on the website in the near future to allow customers in other parishes to have the elevated experience online.
“Our goal is to have a good offering online as we do have a very robust website right now but we couldn’t pull off having everything on the website before the launch. But customers can look out for that.”
At the launch at Fontana Waterloo, attendee Tianna Samuels expressed her excitement about being able to shop in the space, noting that Fenty Beauty was a perfect starting point for Fontana.
“I’m most excited to be able to peruse and try products before even shopping for them, especially given that I was always a Fenty girl. I’m also really planning to add Hella Thicc mascara to my routine, especially after seeing the application on the model.”