Aesop upsizes skincare at new Sydney megastore

@senesino
em 03/09/2019 14:14

"Many retailers are cutting down the number of staff, the amount of customer service. Our approach is the antithesis of that.

— Michael O'Keeffe
To help achieve this, Aesop turned to a prior collaborator, Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta and its senior interior architect Peter Girgis, best known for his work on New York City buildings including the National September 11 Museum Pavilion and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Girgis knew the pre[REMOVIDO] Aesop would be moving into was made of coastal sandstone, so upon arrival in Australia he took a trip to Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“My impression was one of calm: the water, the magnificent sandstone cliffs,” he says. “There was a laidback sensation and a pace that I connected with. That part of Sydney is different, of course, to the central business district; but the idea of the coast is alive in our design for Aesop Sydney.”

To create a sense of calm, Girgis created a set-back entryway for the store which, he says, “creates a moment of stillness that allows the visitor to stop, think and relax. The customer is instantly slowed down, shifting from the incessantly busy pace of Pitt Street.”

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@senesino
em 03/09/2019 14:15

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@senesino
em 03/09/2019 14:16

"The store’s main room, referred to by Girgis as a “vast chamber”, is dramatically lined with granite. “While sandstone is the prevailing local geology, granite – known for its strength and durability – lines the pavements of Sydney’s central business district,” he explains.

Dominating the chamber is an immense stainless-steel counter with a dozen large sinks where customers can test products. In a quiet corner there are three additional basins. “Those sinks are set farther back to allow for greater intimacy,” Girgis says.

At the heart of the chamber, stone steps rise to an amphitheatre where a large screen will display video art and short films and Aesop will hold events.

O’Keeffe says the store will be staffed to the hilt. “Many retailers are cutting down the number of staff, the amount of customer service,” he says. “Our approach is the antithesis of that.”

And, if the launch is successful, O’Keeffe says large-format Aesop stores will roll out in select cities around the globe."

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@senesino
em 03/09/2019 14:18

"Silence is golden
Although Aesop is known for its use of gentle natural ingredients and essential oils, the brand has historically resisted marketing its products specifically for sensitive skin. That changes on September 30 with the launch of Seeking Silence, a facial moisturiser formulated specifically to address sensitive skin symptoms, including irritation, itching and redness.

Over the past decade, we have noticed an increase in urban consumers who are reporting [symptoms] associated with sensitive skin,” says Dr Kate Forbes, Aesop’s general manager of products and research & development, She attributes these to lifestyle and environmental factors including extreme weather changes and pollution.

Soothing ingredients in Seeking Silence include narcissus tazetta extract, sourced from the dormant bulbs of daffodils, and dunaliella salina extract, a green microalgae rich in antioxidants. Additional emollients and humectants help bind water in the skin, strengthening its outermost layer.

NEED TO KNOW
Aesop Sydney, in Pitt Street Mall, opens in mid-September."

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