When Dennis Paphitis imagined Aesop, he envisaged the equivalent of a weighty, gold charm bracelet on the tanned wrist of a glamorous, well-read European woman who has travelled and collected interesting experiences. This explains a great deal about the brand.
There are many Aesop stores worldwide now, the design of each of these stores is different. The smallest detail, such as temperature, lighting, music, smells, tactility and the materiality of space has been thought through and these peripheral factors actually compliment the product line. They feed the senses. There is little chance that Aesop could evolve into a soulless chain.
That eye for detail was evident early on, the Melbourne hairdresser started the product after he began adding essential oils to mask the smell of ammonia in the commercial hair colour, his salon reflected the seasons, the floors covered with large autumnal leaves and then something similar to herald spring.
I love everything about Aesop, the product definitely but the company goes beyond the commercial transaction. It has the highest retention of staff in the retail sector. A beautifully curated newsletter with thought provoking topics and suggestions…I will be trying the Spritz – one part Prosecco, one part bittersweet liqueur and one healthy splash soda water come aperitivo hour at Bar Necci in Rome’s effervescent Pigneto district in a few weeks.
On their website the Fabulist is a monthly literary gesture. It features fiction and non-fiction by emerging and established writers across the globe, along with incisive interviews and glimpses of their private perspectives.
They invite me to movies at my local cinema, and then give me a gift for turning up. At Christmas loyal customers are invited, on a particular day, for drinks and nibbles and then given a 10 % discount. At my local store, Newtown, (where Dennis Paphitis was three days ago, having sold a stake in the company he still keeps an eagle eye on the product.), a bottle of moisturiser hangs outside the front door for anyone to try……they write of themselves : We value all human endeavours undertaken with intellectual rigour, vision, and a nod to the whimsical.
Every Aesop product is made with the same attention to detail we believe should be applied to life at large, taking into consideration a diversity of needs as well as seasonal and environmental conditions.
No I don’t work for them nor have been paid anything by them in cash or product. I just believe that when you find a unique product and particularly if it is local its worth a bit of crowing….
LINK