Aesop

Designed in collaboration with Atelier SuaSua, the serene space of Aesop Hangzhou is an ode to the city’s arching Gaohu stone bridges, with this materiality used from the facade to the interiors across columns, floor, and countertops. In the window, master artisan Wen Shishan, inheritor of the 250-year-old craft of oil-paper umbrellas, assembles bamboo ribs—a nod to the Yuhang oil-paper chandelier hanging above the central trough, which accommodates communal encounters.

Inhabiting a prominent corner on North London’s Upper Street, the second iteration of Aesop Islington illuminates the neighbourhood’s history. With salvaged London cast-iron lamp posts to light the way, undulating walls skim the circumference, echoing the arcs of the restored Victorian ceiling beams and columns. Keeping one foot in the past, 1950s wall lights provide welcoming illumination, while reclaimed bricks span the floor and counter units. Photography by Ollie Tomlinson. Architecture by our in-house design team.

In June, books by LGBTQIA+ authors filled the shelves of Aesop Soho in London for the Aesop Queer Library. Entitled ‘Multiple margins’, this year’s edition focused on stories from the intersection of queer and racial identities. Thank you to all who attended; may your chosen tome inspire fresh connections. Explore more here: https://lnkd.in/ekHcqmZS

In June the Aesop Queer Library returned to New York and Los Angeles, once again collaborating with the American Civil Liberties Union. This year’s edition championed local libraries as safe spaces where queer stories are—or rather should be—free to be discovered. The ACLU has been fighting censorship for over a century. Now it works to defend the right to read, learn, and discuss books by and about queer and BIPOC people in libraries, classrooms, and beyond. Explore more here: https://lnkd.in/eKVP7_gk

Aesop Wall Street: a space of preserved Art Deco grandeur. Our latest New York store, designed with our longtime collaborator Jakob Sprenger, is now open. Within a space defined by soaring ceilings and walls clad in Fior di Pesco marble, our intention was to maintain the pre-existing architectural splendour, restore integrity where needed, and insert a layer of free-standing furniture that could be easily reused in a future location. Photography by Sean Davidson.

The Aesop Queer Library returns to London’s Soho from 27-30 June, where our ephemeral collection of LGBTQIA+ titles takes pride of place. This year, the Library focuses on the intersection of queer and racial identities. Ahead of its launch, a panel discussion was facilitated by A Vibe Called Tech at the Bishopsgate Institute, exploring this rich and complex juncture and the impactful narratives that can emerge from it. Explore more here: bit.ly/AesopQueerLibraryUK.

In good hands. A fresh chapter for a time-honoured range arrives with new Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm, along with positive changes to the materiality of all our 75mL hand balm tubes. Formulated with a nurturing combination of hydrating humectants, alongside emollient butters and oils, Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm leaves even dry or weather-weary skin thoroughly replenished, warmly scented and a with a soft, matte finish. This distinctly hydrating addition joins Resurrection and Reverence Hand Balms, all of which are now available in 100% recycled aluminium tubes. Not only does this material make use of post-consumer and post-industrial materials, its production also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each 75mL tube by 12%. These balms are also available in a 500mL pump bottle format—as with many other hand and body care formulations—which are made from 97% recycled PET plastic. In keeping with our status as a B Corp™, this shift is just one of the ways in which we are progressing toward our sustainability commitments, which include a mission to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions.

A new space, steeped in history. Our first store in Beijing, Aesop WF CENTRAL House 19, was designed in collaboration with local studio atelier suasua. Situated in the storied Wangfujing area, it is housed within a siheyuan—a traditional courtyard residence. Silk flutters overhead in the serene outside space, while the interior is distinguished by high ceilings and wooden rafters, with formulations arranged on large teak structures inspired by classic step-beds from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Aesop & OTHER MATTER: an alchemy of algae. Ahead of Melbourne Design Week, the windows of 38 Aesop stores in Australia and New Zealand have been transformed in collaboration with OTHER MATTER—an experimental studio founded by Jessie French that explores the possibilities of a post-petrochemical world. The installations are created with a unique algae-based bioplastic of French’s own design which forms textural decals that can be repurposed and reused. Discover More: https://lnkd.in/e3RCKP2G

Aesop Beverly Drive: shadows, camera, action. Taking a subtly cinematic approach, our most recent Los Angeles store evokes a pared-back soundstage from a bygone era. A pair of alabaster structures stand off-axis along the depth of the space, pierced by strategically placed slits and windows that allow light in, casting dramatic shadows. Towards the back, a dressing room of sorts features a double en suite basin for private skin care consultations. Architecture by Aesop's in-house design team.