Community Conversation: Aesop
Community
October 22, 2021
Aesop resides on the corner of James Street and Fortitude Lane. Currently, the laneway provides a vantage point of an artistic installation that celebrates a brand-new product, Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum.
James Street (JS), Aesop (A)
Like all Aesop formulations, the serum has been designed with the client in mind – so too the installation but with the client being Aesop and the creator being Brisbane-based design studio, Five Mile Radius. Five Mile Radius is recognised for creating building supplies, furnishings, and objects made from recycled construction materials and this artistic piece is no exception.
The sustainable window arrangement is made from concrete waste (over pour). Custom constructed and perfectly imperfect blocks with rippled edges have been stacked to imitate the silhouette of our city and an iconic Queensland building material in corrugated iron. Aesop’s newest product has been incorporated into the display too, with both the Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum and subject matter of the installation representing practicality and durability.
We spoke to Aesop to find out more about how the partnership and new product came to life…
JS: Who found who? How did the collaboration with Five Mile Radius come to life?
A: Aesop endeavours to collaborate with emerging and established creatives who share a focus on unique and sustainable design. Through discovery via social media, our in-house Visual Merchandising team connected with Five Mile Radius with the prospects of collaborating for the launch of our Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum.
JS: The brief for Five Mile Radius was dubbed “a dream brief” by the local creatives – to construct three installations inspired by the volumetric form of the cities we live in – explain this request further.
A: Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum guards the skin against airborne particulates, which are of most concern in our urban environments. The creative brief for this campaign looked to our cities and sought inspiration from the architectural shapes that form the landscape. We asked Five Mile Radius to respond to our global brief and conceptually represent the urban architecture across Queensland, using a local and sustainable material.
JS: How does the James St installation vary from the other two stores?
A: The concept is consistent across all three spaces; however, each installation responds in scale and configuration to the interior of each space. Aesop James Street hosts the largest installation which is displayed both internally and within the stores window.
JS: Why is it important for Aesop to partner with local creatives?
A: Aesop places a strong focus on building local partnerships with the businesses and individuals that surround our retail spaces. We aim to ensure that we are supporting the community in which we are placed, so when the opportunity comes for us to collaborate with a creative partner, we look no further than those around us.
JS: The inception of Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum stemmed from consumer desire – what makes this product so desirable and different from its less intense predecessor?
A: Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum is a formidable progression of the original Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum. The formulation is suitable for most skin types, but especially apt for city-slickers—whose skin is often more susceptible to the effects of oxidative stress.
Containing extracts of Red Algae and Tara Gum, it creates an almost imperceptible film on the skin to help guards against airborne particulates. Anti-oxidant-rich extracts of Grape Seed, Green Tea and Parsley Seed help counter oxidative stress, supporting the health of the skin in urban environments.
JS: Why is it so important to protect the skin from airborne particulates?
A: Airborne particulates can cause dryness, dullness and inconsistency in the skins texture and tone. Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum provides a potent anti-oxidant layer that fortifies the skin from these particulates which occur most commonly in urban and climate controlled environments.
JS: Name three daily skincare rituals that clients should follow:
A: Start with the foundations of a healthy skin care routine;
- Cleanse
- Tone
- Hydrate/Protect/Replenish
JS: What can we expect next from Aesop?
A: This festive season, Aesop tunes in to the world, sets themes, myths, and voyages aside—and uses its 250,000 gift kits as opportunities to share a simple idea; generosity. A conscionable offering, whose impact reverberates beyond the first exchange, Anatomy of Generosity is a collection of gift kits that celebrates acts of kindness. Tied to one of five essential causes, each kit is named for one of the starring roles in any nurturing and equitable society. We look forward to welcoming you into our Aesop James Street space to explore these gift kits and other festive offerings.
