Wednesday, May 20, 2009

AESOP...

I finally visited the Aesop shop in Mount Street, an area that has undergone a radical transformation from sleepy Mayfair backwater, home to a couple of posh hairdressers, in the past couple of years. Balenciaga, Lanvin, Annick Goutal, the revamped Scotts and The Connaught are the sights, not the quaint old fashioned shops, though the butchers and the tobacco shop still seem to be hanging on. A Goyard store is about to open - and of course there's the man who enticed them all there: Marc Jacobs. Aesop has been open for about a year now but it was the first time I'd seen the StudioIlse designed shop in person, on my way to the new Marc by MJ store.


Now I'm obsessed with the paint colour, the sink, the light fittings, the lightbulbs and Aesop Rejuvenate Aromatique body balm - a blend of vanilla and sandalwood that nearly had me levitating with its gorgeous aroma.


I've always liked Aesop products but the prices always make me hyperventilate a bit too. I shall go for the 120ml as the larger size is over £50 and that's just a wee bit too much, even for something that makes you levitate. If I could I would have a bathroom full of Aesop products and have Ilse Crawford design my bathroom as well, oh go on then my whole flat. It strikes me that many of my peak London experiences have occurred in Ilse designed spaces: Cecconi's on my 30th birthday for one. I will make it my mission to seek out more - spaces and peak experiences in them.

p.s. I'm not going to mention the Marc by MJ store - oh ok, well all I can say is ol' MJ has got to be having a laugh. At us. Cheap, mass produced shit with an MJ label on it is still cheap, mass produced shit. Is it supposed to be a post-ironic comment on Chinese sweatshops or something?


{Shop photos from StudioIlse, products from Aesop site}

6 comments:

charlotte said...

i have a little hoard of aesop products that i got from a hotel bathroom. i must have been a typical housekeeping annoyance as i swiped each and every thing they put in there but i defy anyone not to when they're so heavenly.

Anonymous said...

yes i first encountered aesop a few years back when an ex went to australia for a film festival and brought back a couple of items from aesop as my gift..:)
although at the time, i really didn't pay them too much mind. perhaps i need a second, "experience or encounter" 6;)
and about marc, mister marc jacobs...something things he designs are fabulous (probably more for LV) and then i feel MJ is a tad on the cheap side..at least look wise. and i must say, i am not digging his choice of madonna either to front campaigns...
(and off topic...http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/20/carine-roitfeld-french-vogue-fashion-interview...somehow she always fascinates me...)
nancy

Sudie said...

Couldn't agree more about the MJ store! Also loving the paint colour at Aesop - did you manage to find out what it is??

Claire said...

lottie - I would do exactly the same - I bet everyone takes them...

nancy - all their products just feel and smell so amazing, although I always feel some of them are formulated for hot climates. I love MJ - I believe Marc by Marc is Robert Duffy's brainchild though and his idea to have the inexpensive doodads but it really feels like Poundland in Deptford!

Sudie - I didn't ask as I kind of felt the poor guy probably never sells anything, just gets asked about the interior all the time! I'm sure it's possible to find out though, but I expect it's custom blended.

Anonymous said...

aesop is my favourite. love being from australia because i think they're somewhat cheaper here!

July Stars said...

I've been to the Mount Street shop a couple of times and absolutely love the design. Not sure about the products, they just don't work for me!