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Tag: Aesop

  • Aesop brings Japanese-inspired sanctuary to Kansai International Airport

    Aesop brings Japanese-inspired sanctuary to Kansai International Airport

    Aesop, the renowned skincare brand, has recently inaugurated a new outlet at Kansai International Airport (KIX). This launch, a collaborative effort with Lagardère Travel Retail, is seen as a major push to extend Aesop’s presence in the Asia Pacific’s travel retail sector.

    Embracing Traditional Japanese Aesthetics

    Aesop’s new store brings to life the essence of traditional Japanese aesthetics. The store design takes cues from paper walls and the iconic Noguchi lamps, resulting in an inviting, soothing, and softly lit environment. The brand states that the store layout is intended to enhance the dwell time of shoppers, creating a serene oasis for those in transit. This strategy is expected to boost customer engagement and conversion rates.

    A Store Experience Centered on Sensory Exploration

    Aesop’s retail strategy is built around enriching the sensory experiences of its customers. The store features a signature sink where patrons can explore the texture and scent of various Aesop products. Visitors are also greeted with oshibori (Japanese moist hand towels) or tea, setting up a warm and welcoming shopping environment.

    Moreover, the store also offers a hand-picked collection of books and a travel-themed music playlist for customers to enjoy during their journey. To further enhance the shopping experience, customers are gifted a uniquely designed tote bag which includes a Kansai-inspired quote and local tea as a keepsake.

    The Aesop Difference

    Jesus Abia, the Managing Director of L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific, emphasized that Aesop’s environmental synergy is a unique selling proposition for the brand. He highlighted that the Japanese-inspired design at the Kansai International Airport outlet enhances the travel experience, nurturing the skin, invigorating the senses, and creating harmonious surroundings.

    Questions & Answers

    Where has Aesop opened its new store?
    Aesop has opened its new store at Kansai International Airport (KIX), Japan.

    What is the design strategy of Aesop’s new outlet?
    The design of Aesop’s new store pays homage to traditional Japanese aesthetics, incorporating elements like paper walls and Noguchi lamps to create a tranquil atmosphere.

    What unique offerings does the store provide to its customers?
    Apart from offering an array of skincare products, the store also provides a sensory exploration experience with a signature sink to sample products. Visitors are welcomed with tea or oshibori. There’s also a curated selection of books and travel-themed music. Customers also receive a specially designed tote bag with a local tea as a memento of their visit.

  • Iconic Jewellery Brand Fabergé Sold For $50m: Gemfields Shifts Focus Back To Core Mining Operations

    Iconic Jewellery Brand Fabergé Sold For $50m: Gemfields Shifts Focus Back To Core Mining Operations

    Gemfields, the mining group, has disclosed the sale of its entire ownership in the esteemed jewellery brand Fabergé. The purchaser, U.S.-based SMG Capital, procured the brand for a sum of US$50 million – a cost that many in the industry have described as unusually low for a brand with such a rich history.

    Financial Breakdown

    As of December, Fabergé had net assets amounting to $50.35 million. Nevertheless, the brand had experienced operating and net losses totaling $5.7 million and $11.3 million, respectively. These financial results likely influenced the final sale price.

    Fabergé, renowned for its extravagant creations, boasts the Third Imperial Easter Egg amongst its portfolio. Created in 1887, this masterpiece, featuring a solid gold case adorned with sapphires and diamonds, and containing a women’s watch with diamond-set gold hands, was once valued at $33 million. The egg remains in the hands of an unidentified private collector.

    Deal Details

    Gemfields is set to receive $45 million upon the deal’s closure, which is anticipated by the end of August. The remaining $5 million will be dispersed in the form of quarterly royalties, equivalent to 8% of Fabergé’s revenue. Notably, the deal does not necessitate any regulatory approvals or additional authorizations.

    The sale enables Gemfields to concentrate its efforts on its fundamental operations in coloured gemstone mining. These activities encompass the launch of a new ruby processing facility in Mozambique and the growth of emerald mining in Zambia.

    End of an Era for Gemfields

    Sean Gilbertson, CEO of Gemfields Group, referred to the sale as signifying the conclusion of an era. He stated, “Brands as iconic and beautiful as Fabergé do not change hands very often. We wish the team and Mr. Mosunov every success.”

    SMG Capital, under the proprietorship of tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Sergei Mosunov, plans to maintain Fabergé’s focus on jewellery, accessories, and timepieces. Mosunov also expressed his eagerness to offer exceptional service to existing customers while attracting new brand enthusiasts.

    A Historical Overview of Fabergé

    Established in 1842 in St Petersburg, Russia, Fabergé is famed for its intricate, gem-encrusted eggs, which were originally manufactured for the Russian imperial family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the essence of the deal between Gemfields and SMG Capital?
    The deal entails the sale of Gemfields’ entire stake in Fabergé to SMG Capital for US$50 million.

    What are the future plans for Gemfields following the sale of Fabergé?
    Gemfields plans to focus on its core operations in coloured gemstone mining, including the launch of a new ruby processing plant in Mozambique and the expansion of emerald mining in Zambia.

    What will be the future focus of Fabergé under the new ownership of SMG Capital?
    Under the ownership of SMG Capital, Fabergé will continue to concentrate on its jewellery, accessories, and timepieces.

  • Aesop Expands In Bangkok: New Boutique Marries Australian Design With Traditional Thai Architecture

    Aesop Expands In Bangkok: New Boutique Marries Australian Design With Traditional Thai Architecture

    Aesop, the well-known Australian cosmetics brand, has recently expanded its presence in Bangkok by opening its fourth boutique at Central Chidlom.

    Inspiration & Design

    This new boutique boasts a unique design, unlike any other. Aesop’s own in-house design team, based in Melbourne, has taken inspiration from the traditional Thai architecture. The design is marked by curved silhouettes, distinctively characteristic of Thailand’s traditional rooftops.

    The boutique’s interior features an aesthetic infused with bamboo, underscoring the brand’s commitment to local materials and sustainable practices. This design choice is a nod to the enamelled tiles seen on traditional Thai rooftops, which are often supported by wooden frames and trusses.

    Store Features

    Prominent in the store is a standalone terraced display table and several shelving units, all of which are enveloped by bamboo. This common interior material is frequently used across Thailand, reflecting the brand’s integration of local traditions into its store design.

    Product Range

    The most recent addition to Aesop’s portfolio of boutiques will carry the brand’s comprehensive range of products. These include their complete line of skincare, haircare, and body care products, each promising the high-quality experience that Aesop is renowned for.

    Questions & Answers

    What inspired the design of the new Aesop boutique in Bangkok?

    The design of the new boutique was inspired by traditional Thai architecture, particularly the curved silhouettes of the country’s traditional rooftops.

    What materials were used in the construction of the new Aesop boutique?

    The boutique prominently features bamboo in its construction, a common material used throughout Thai architecture and interior design.

    What products will the new Aesop boutique carry?

    The boutique will carry Aesop’s full range of skincare, haircare, and body care products.

  • Aesop store in Seoul features reclaimed red bricks

    Aesop store in Seoul features reclaimed red bricks

    Luxury skincare brand Aesop has opened a distinctive store in south-central Seoul designed by Hong Kong designers Mlkk Studio.

    The designers laid out the two-level Aesop store in Seoul using reclaimed red bricks to fashion within the building’s slate-grey brick facade to create a warm and inviting shop interior. It is intended to provide a cozy retreat for shoppers, especially during the cold winter months.

    “It gave an exciting opportunity to do something just the opposite with the same material,” said an Mlkk Studio spokesperson. “The choice of material also creates a dialogue with the architecture and effortlessly blends the interior and the exterior … The bricks add color variety and enrich the sense of time and history of the space.”

    The bricks are also used in the store’s service counter and for a sink where customers can try out the products. Two arched cubby holes with copper shelving are built into the rear wall, resembling traditional Korean kilns.

    The Aesop store in Seoul is one of many stores by the brand profiled on design site Dezeen.

  • Aesop store pays tribute to Oscar Niemeyer

    Aesop store pays tribute to Oscar Niemeyer

    The new Aesop Duke of York Square store in west London was designed as a tribute to Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyer.

    While founded in Australia, skincare brand Aesop was recently bought by Brazilian retail group Natura and the new owner has been quick to add a touch of its own influence in store designs. Aesop is renowned for each of its shops being designed differently, eschewing the cookie-cutter approach of most global retail brands.

    Twelve rose-tinged clay arches fan out over a huge stainless-steel sink in the Snohetta-designed Aesop Chelsea store, reports architecture and design online publication Dezeen. It is located inside a luxury shopping area beside the Saatchi gallery in Duke of York Square off King’s Road.

    Dezeen reports a large column set in the centre of the 108sqm shop dictated the starting point of the design for Snohetta’s Oslo office.

    “The team placed 12 arching sections of wall – intentionally reminiscent of the concrete forms used by Oscar Niemeyer – around its edges. The arches splay out across the ceiling and touch the walls, to incorporate the column into the design.”

    Aesop West London 1

    A large disk-shaped sink with a polished stainless-steel top and fibre-glass base wraps around the centre of the column, cementing it as the centre point of the store.

    “There is this column, very odd, very strange, and we decided we would surround this column to accentuate it even more,” senior architect Peter Girgis told Dezeen.

    “Central to the space is this large disk sink, about four and a half metres in diameter, and from that we wanted this column of both light and emulating structure to come and loom,” added Girgis, who led the project with architect Gaute Simonsen.

    Aesop Duke of York Square is Snohetta’s first permanent project in the UK, but its seventh store for the skincare brand. It designed a store for Aesop in Singapore, likened to “an upside-down forest”.

  • Aesop Korea opens fifth Seoul boutique

    Aesop Korea opens fifth Seoul boutique

    Australian luxury beauty brand Aesop has expanded its footprint in Seoul with a fifth signature boutique.

    On the ground floor of LG Twin Towers, a mixed-use complex in the upscale riverside neighbourhood of Hannam-Dong, the store is just 45 sqm.

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    The new Aesop Korea store’s interior was designed by Suh Architects, a Korean practice which has already collaborated with the cosmetics brand on two other projects. Principal/founder Eulho Suh has degrees from Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard University Graduate School of Design in the US, and worked for Morphosis Architects in Santa Monica, California, and Kohn Pederson Fox in New York.

    Aesop was established in Melbourne in 1987 and has offices and stores throughout the world, including Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.

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  • Aesop Singapore store marks new design direction

    Aesop Singapore store marks new design direction

    The newly-opened Aesop Ion Orchard features the brand’s newest generation store design concept.

    The store, designed by Snohetta, was officially opened a week ago after about a month’s trading. It is the first time Aesop has had a presence in Ion Orchard.

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    The store features metals and timber, with a bold polished brass exterior. Narrow square timber batons of differing lengths hang down from the ceiling to create an ‘upside down forest’. The timber was chosen in part to mark the presence of a nutmeg plantation on the site many years before Orchard Rd became a retail hub.

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    The walls are painted in a pink hue, intended to be reminiscent of the colour of mace, a spice harvested from the nutmeg fruit.

    “A connection with the nearby Aesop Raffles City is established through the use of brass in functional elements such as the sales counter and sink, and the metal’s lustre is enhanced by overhead lighting,” said the brand.

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    A lot of the product is displayed on circular shelves mounted on steel frames running from ceiling to floor creating a ‘floating effect’ which fits in with the ceiling forest effect. There are vintage style basins with old style outdoor taps for customers to wash their hands before treatments.

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    Aesop was founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 1987 and has since grown into an international chain of stores and department store concessions selling skin care products packaged in brown medicine bottles.

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    Aesop Ion Orchard is the fifth of the brand’s shops to be designed by Snøhetta – earlier stores include Raffles City, Berlin and Norway.

    Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis told Dezeen “there’s a direct correlation between interesting, captivating store spaces and customer traffic within a store.”

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