In Praise of Aesthetics: Aēsop Storefronts and Their Charm
Some words on Aēsop’s distinctive spaces.
When I’m out and about in the general public, there are moments where I turn my head to some form of stimulus. If I catch a whiff of fresh brewed coffee from a nearby café or hear the sounds of a song that I know well, I’m turning around. While those reflexive moments may lean more universal, there’s one reaction that feels uniquely mine (or perhaps shared with a smaller, more particular crowd). It isn’t super often, but it’s the moment I spot an Aēsop storefront and know, without hesitation, that I have no choice but to step inside.
If unfamiliar, Aēsop is a luxury cosmetics brand renowned for its distinctive, thoughtfully curated products. Inside of their storefronts, signature fragrances in amber glass bottles rest shoulder-to-shoulder on shelving while hand soaps line the edges of sink stations. Windows allow in light to rest on earth toned furniture. All of this to invite the clientele to give the products a try firsthand and understand the brand. The feeling you get from browsing in one of these storefronts is a simple, but memorable one. They have somehow tapped into the core of a warm, inviting, and earthy aesthetic.
For the casual consumer, it’s a quaint and cozy shopping experience. But for those who embrace design and brand storytelling, it’s almost like a sensory waltz of an experience. It’s something else.
Fragrance shops, at times, carry a poor rep, with many people recalling an overpowering scent of perfume that pollutes the air. Aēsop, however, doesn’t quite match that experience. Their fragrances are delicate and refined, creating a welcoming atmosphere of quiet sophistication. Walking into an Aēsop store feels less like entering a retail space and more like stepping into some type of library. A calm and intentional environment. As a result, the space itself sets up subtle social cues for those who come in. This isn’t the place for grabbing a fragrance off the shelf and booming the atomizer until you’re enveloped in notes of vetiver and sandalwood. It’s a place where the mood inside is in an invitation to explore with care and consideration—to look at all that there is to offer and feel something from it. The kind of place where you spin a bottle around on a shelf to line up with the other bottles because the label is facing the opposite direction, even if you don’t work there. It just demands order and structure.
Were you to spend an afternoon Googling all 395 Aēsop locations and their interiors, you would learn that nearly all of them were designed to tell a story. The Aēsop De Meent location in Rotterdam (pictured above) was crafted to feel reminiscent of a home in the Dutch countryside. Cherry timber comprises the wooden skeleton of the space and expansive front windows allow light to pour in and bathe occupants in a cherry-timber-hued glow. At the center of the space, a limestone basin for product testing. Beautiful stuff. A story in the build.
It’s the storytelling that is most compelling to me. There’s a clear formula that they’re working with, but the formula is fittingly changed at each new opportunity. Context is introduced and all factors surrounding the space are considered. While the brand identity is expertly maintained, the locations are designed to embrace the local culture. The motifs that make Tokyo feel like Tokyo or New York feel like New York are represented in some manner.
In the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, the Aēsop space pays homage to the prior tenant, Anel French Cleaners. After the owners of Anel’s decided to retire, they hand-picked Aēsop to reimagine the space. With the prior façade preserved, the design of the space carried themes left behind from Anel’s with one of my favorite details being the custom shelving. If you look closely, the shelving assumes the shape of an upside down hanger. Another homage to the prior tenant. Brilliant.
The list of examples could go on and on. It could actually go on for about another 390+ times considering the remaining amount of storefronts they have that I didn’t shine a light on. It’d be extreme to think that I could visit each and every location and learn the inspiration behind it, but I’ll settle for trying my best to find them when I can. The most major takeaway that I can offer to you, the reader, is to allow yourself time and attention to fully understand these spaces. The storytelling in the design is the key. I can confirm that the products themselves are great as well, but that we can save for another SLS. Should you ever spot an Aēsop location across the street or on a navigation app you’re using in a new city, do yourself a favor and have a stop in. Look at the walls. Then the windows. Wash your hands. Experience the room around you. A team of people sat for hours and hours for that very moment. Feel it!