Stop scrolling! Hailey Bieber has landed Down Under to serve up her cult favourite skincare and makeup brand, Rhode, to Aussie fans with a side of A.P pastries.
Rhode has launched on Aussie shores through Australia makeup monopoly Mecca as well as through its own site, marking the launch with an activation at A.P Bakery in Surry Hills from 12 February 12 until 15 February.
A.P Bakery is serving up Rhode-inspired blueberry buttermilk waffles, lamingtons and coffee, as well as a stamp card that can be redeemed at selected Mecca stores for a Rhode sample with purchase. The activation came equipped with a line wrapped around the building, with fans lining up for hours and hours for the chance to experience the beauty sensation first-hand.
The activation is positioned as a first-in, best-dressed, with wristbands being handed out to manage numbers, amplifying the level of demand and excitement surrounding the brand’s launch Down Under.
Rhode has become something of a pioneer in the cosmetics space, redefining how brands build community and identity in a digital-first era. Bieber does not rely on traditional advertising, but instead leverages her own social reach and cultural relevance to create a lifestyle-driven brand narrative.
Its branding is purposefully minimal, the product lineup is streamlining and the brand utilises a highly visual social strategy to turn product launches into moments of virality, ultimately blurring the line between commerce and content.
Rhode has set a new benchmark for how modern-day beauty brands drive demand and cultivate loyalty with finesse, turning online relevance into real-world impact.
Along with the bakery activation, Bieber will be in attendance at Sydney’s inaugural Vogue: Forces of Fashion event, as well as an influencer event to promote the launch.
The drop was so highly anticipated that upon its launch in Mecca, the website and app struggled to keep up, temporarily crashing due to the considerable number of shoppers trying to get their hands on Rhode. In wake of the crash, consumers turned to Mecca’s Instagram instead.
@charlise.lj.nat said: “It’s be nice if they app wasn’t crashing”
“Hey is it just me or the website kicked me out and now doesn’t let me sign in” @annaofsorts added.
@jay_kel commented: “Website crashed so much couldn’t even get in to my account after being logged out”
Australian makeup retail monopoly Mecca, has long built its reputation on exclusive access, often discouraging beauty brands from direct-to-consumer sales. Rhode however, is one of the few able to operate on a different level.
With Hailey Bieber’s massive influence and the brand’s global following, Mecca has had to make an exception.
This move marks a critical shift for the mega retailer, signalling a willingness to adapt as it rides the peak of its cultural relevance, and showcasing the increasing power of celebrity brands in shaping how beauty is bought and sold.
Another clear sign of this shift is Hourglass’ exit from the retailer after a more than 15 year partnership. The luxury label had been exclusively sold in Mecca, Australia since 2010, with a tightly-sealed contract that restricted direct-to-consumer sales in the region.
Hourglass and Mecca have fought courtroom battles over the contract clause ultimately ending with Hourglass neglecting to resign with Mecca and pulling its product from Mecca shelves as of February 2026.
