Who's behind it? It was created by Clinic La Prairie - a pioneer in anti-ageing cellular therapy and gerontology - in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1978, when the brand launched its cellular eye cream. The cream was considered revolutionary at the time because the clinic applied its medical knowhow about ageing to face cream. In 1987, Georgette Mosbacher, the former wife of a past US secretary of commerce, purchased the brand and later sold it to Beiersdorf in 1991. It was Mosbacher who developed the brand's famous skin caviar line - considered innovative at the time because it plumped up the skin and contained silicone to smooth out lines. It was also the first time a brand had realised the beneficial effect of marine-based ingredients on the skin.

What's the spin? The brand lays claim to a number of firsts, including being the first to introduce products using alpha hydroxy acid, retinol and vitamin C. Asia Pacific general manager Victoria Kent says La Prairie launches more new products than anybody else 'because we want to replace old technology with new technology'.

Anything else? Kent is excited about a new technology the brand will launch in November which fights the effects of ageing even more effectively and targets how the skin reacts to various components in the atmosphere. The brand's Hong Kong stores are also being revamped to include more personalised seating areas.