On my way home yesterday I discovered Aesop on St Viateur. Taking my leisure, I stepped in as much out of curiosity and appreciation for design, as for health and sumptuous self care interest.
If you appreciate design you may be well impressed. The Aesop brand is 20 something, boasts a line of over 80 formulations, in 43 countries with over 100 stores, does not advertise, and uses, for the most part, local designers for their area specific store locations. This is a brand that appreciates place, talent, detail, the unique. This is all BRAND, carefully coutureD (capital "D" design) brand.
Local architecture design company Naturehumaine designed the Mile End location, just opened this year.
Azure Magazine very recently wrote an article on the design aspects of both the new Mile End and Westmount (another interesting design by Alain Carle) locations, if of interest:
http://www.azuremagazine.com/article/aesop-sets-shop-montreal/
Aesop has extensive on-line presence (including upscale glossy magazine sites coverage). Their sites are interesting. Even trippy. Fabulistic. http://www.aesop.com/au/the-fabulist/ =D
From the /au/ site (http://www.aesop.com/au/): "Aesop was established in Melbourne.(Founded by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis) Our objective has always been to formulate skin, hair and body care products of the finest quality; we investigate widely to source plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients, and use only those with a proven record of safety and efficacy. (no animal testing, ever) In each of our unique stores, informed consultants are pleased to introduce our range and to guide your selections. Alongside our commercial activities, we explore and support the arts as an avenue through which to inspire, learn and communicate."
HHhmmm, all that, and they have scents too.
My 'informed consultant', Leona, was wonderful. She took great care (totally unhurried) to educate me about the products (I had to remind myself to truly take my leisure!). We applied some skin elixirs, and she gave me samples to try at home. I asked her how it was going in the hood, as I see Mile End as a challenging base for the brand. Wonder that it would do better on the Outremont side of Parc, but, apparently, its going well. Interesting. Great.
This is not a cheap date. This is a company attentive to carefully wooing a savvy and loyal local client base.
OK. I'm buying. Will give it a go. In fact, I came out of Aesop so self-care love-struck that I crossed the street to get a smoothie from Crudessence. =D
(Sadly, it was closed...darn winter hours!)
UPDATE:
It's love.
It's created some distance between my all purpose face, body and hair steady for these past many years and me.
O well. Things change.
Will always be fond Dr Bronner's -liquid- Magic Soaps. read more