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Aesop
From the revered Australian skincare company Aesop, a debut volume presenting its rigorous passion for creating superlative products and their considered approach to design.
Since the founding of Aesop in 1987, its stores, products, and culture have been the expression of a complex, holistic set of carefully considered codes and principles. For the very first time within a book, the enigmatic brand documents the singular vision from which it was borne and the company customs that have allowed it to flourish.
The volume includes recollections of the early formative days of Dennis Paphitis's hair salon and the first Melbourne store, tracing how and when Aesop's distinct approach to retail hospitality and its meticulous formulations were conceived. It ranges from the cohesion of the brand through to early packaging, iconography, and campaigns, without neglecting the more imperceptible codes that serve to unite all its stores and entice customers into them in over twenty regions around the world. What emerges is how Aesop's identity is a compound of its history and its singularity. The book also evokes the company's many its fascination with the written word, the architects who have added their singular perspectives, and the partners and collaborators who have helped make Aesop so much more than simply a skincare company.
Composed with photographs by the celebrated Japanese photographer Yutaka Yamamoto, this luxurious volume--an aesthetic handbook of sorts--argues the wisdom and intelligence of doing things well, doing them differently, and doing them for the long term.
Since the founding of Aesop in 1987, its stores, products, and culture have been the expression of a complex, holistic set of carefully considered codes and principles. For the very first time within a book, the enigmatic brand documents the singular vision from which it was borne and the company customs that have allowed it to flourish.
The volume includes recollections of the early formative days of Dennis Paphitis's hair salon and the first Melbourne store, tracing how and when Aesop's distinct approach to retail hospitality and its meticulous formulations were conceived. It ranges from the cohesion of the brand through to early packaging, iconography, and campaigns, without neglecting the more imperceptible codes that serve to unite all its stores and entice customers into them in over twenty regions around the world. What emerges is how Aesop's identity is a compound of its history and its singularity. The book also evokes the company's many its fascination with the written word, the architects who have added their singular perspectives, and the partners and collaborators who have helped make Aesop so much more than simply a skincare company.
Composed with photographs by the celebrated Japanese photographer Yutaka Yamamoto, this luxurious volume--an aesthetic handbook of sorts--argues the wisdom and intelligence of doing things well, doing them differently, and doing them for the long term.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published October 22, 2019
About the author
Jennifer Down
13 books200 followersJennifer Down is a writer and editor from Melbourne. Her work has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Saturday Paper, the Lifted Brow and Overland. Her first novel, Our Magic Hour will be published in 2016. ‘Aokigahara’ won the 2014 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Award.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 1, 2020
[Book Review: Aesop by Jennifer Down, Dennis Paphitis] Spent my day reading (more accurately, learning from) Aesop’s magical first book published by Rizzoli. This 2kg tome is my first read for 2020! It’s so heavy you have to sit down and read it.
It’s a wonderful, linen-bound photo-textbook that precisely and delicately captures Aesop’s philosophy, ethos and spirit; a must-have companion for any dedicated fan or Aesop employee.
The detailed coffee-table book sets out the exciting early beginnings of this Australian skincare company when it started off as Melbourne hair salon Emeis. It’s a proud celebration of Aesop products, customer care and its people, the Aesopian way of doing things unconventionally and going against the grain of commercial logic. It examines what goes into Aesop bottles, the unique, individualistic interiors of its stores around the world, and shares interviews with architects who have brought to life their visions of various Aesop shops, inspired by art, film, literature, and the footprints of surrounding neighbourhoods and enclaves.
The beautiful photographs capture the early packaging, product campaigns, and transport you to the intimate insides of Aesop spaces around the globe, from Kyoto to Rome. Each store is one of a kind with its own story.
Readers are also treated to exciting tales of Aesop’s 30 year history in the skincare industry, and how it has done things originally, organically, differently from its counterparts, its lessons learnt and its successes.
Reading this gave me insight into the brand and concept. In particular, I got to understand how things are done very exactingly, neatly, professionally, ritualistically, and diligently (I’m probably too untidy to work at Aesop!) The book touched briefly on The Aesop Foundation’s assistance to Aussie communities including indigenous Australians.
This book is an accurate testament to Aesop’s appeal to the senses, art, architecture, science, philosophy, and living spirit. It’s an ode and thank you to its founder and people who have contributed and created the Aesop we know and love today. Flip through and purchase this book at Aesop stores or at any good bookstore!
It’s a wonderful, linen-bound photo-textbook that precisely and delicately captures Aesop’s philosophy, ethos and spirit; a must-have companion for any dedicated fan or Aesop employee.
The detailed coffee-table book sets out the exciting early beginnings of this Australian skincare company when it started off as Melbourne hair salon Emeis. It’s a proud celebration of Aesop products, customer care and its people, the Aesopian way of doing things unconventionally and going against the grain of commercial logic. It examines what goes into Aesop bottles, the unique, individualistic interiors of its stores around the world, and shares interviews with architects who have brought to life their visions of various Aesop shops, inspired by art, film, literature, and the footprints of surrounding neighbourhoods and enclaves.
The beautiful photographs capture the early packaging, product campaigns, and transport you to the intimate insides of Aesop spaces around the globe, from Kyoto to Rome. Each store is one of a kind with its own story.
Readers are also treated to exciting tales of Aesop’s 30 year history in the skincare industry, and how it has done things originally, organically, differently from its counterparts, its lessons learnt and its successes.
Reading this gave me insight into the brand and concept. In particular, I got to understand how things are done very exactingly, neatly, professionally, ritualistically, and diligently (I’m probably too untidy to work at Aesop!) The book touched briefly on The Aesop Foundation’s assistance to Aussie communities including indigenous Australians.
This book is an accurate testament to Aesop’s appeal to the senses, art, architecture, science, philosophy, and living spirit. It’s an ode and thank you to its founder and people who have contributed and created the Aesop we know and love today. Flip through and purchase this book at Aesop stores or at any good bookstore!
February 24, 2026
A fascinating book about a curious business, however, it is difficult to determine whether this is truly planting a flag for their business or actually an obituary written during their corporate takeover by Natura and most recently L’Oréal. Many of the initiatives it mentions no longer exist, with URLs mostly pointing to empty webpages suggesting I buy a fragrance and room spray for a ‘rare’ reduction. Furthermore, it is a shame to see one of their proudest outputs of the time - their ‘The Fabulist’ quarterly journal - has now been cancelled.
The stories about formulating new products, the business almost going bankrupt from their expansion to London and architectural highlights are enjoyable to read. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the brand as it fights its profit-hungry corporate overlords.
The stories about formulating new products, the business almost going bankrupt from their expansion to London and architectural highlights are enjoyable to read. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the brand as it fights its profit-hungry corporate overlords.
January 4, 2025
I've had this book for years and finally decided maybe I should actually read the damn coffee table book. I'm glad I did.
Overall, it's a very thoughtfully written book that goes to show the depth of the brand heritage and philosophy that makes Aesop so attractive. It's sometimes a bit too flowery as is to be expected, but can also be strikingly clear and simplistic in delivering its message at other points. It's interesting to see how their discussion of the simplicity of their packaging and its consistency throughout the years has inspired many copycats and become a symbol of luxury. We see this later in the book when they talk about mishaps with their London & Paris launches. Locating stores in luxury districts with an emphasis on the luxurious clientele was a miss; focusing instead on enthusiasts who were excited by skincare was how Aesop would find its core market.
The pictures are gorgeous and the book quality (like any from Rizzoli) is very high indeed. It lays very well when opened and how the book navigates through the history of Aesop, its products, design, ethos, architecture, etc. is clearly done meticulously. The intentionality with which Aesop approaches development and product creation is highlighted and it's a fantastic resource for those who are looking to infuse a touch of that Aesop concept/design into their own brands, life, work, etc..
Overall, it's a very thoughtfully written book that goes to show the depth of the brand heritage and philosophy that makes Aesop so attractive. It's sometimes a bit too flowery as is to be expected, but can also be strikingly clear and simplistic in delivering its message at other points. It's interesting to see how their discussion of the simplicity of their packaging and its consistency throughout the years has inspired many copycats and become a symbol of luxury. We see this later in the book when they talk about mishaps with their London & Paris launches. Locating stores in luxury districts with an emphasis on the luxurious clientele was a miss; focusing instead on enthusiasts who were excited by skincare was how Aesop would find its core market.
The pictures are gorgeous and the book quality (like any from Rizzoli) is very high indeed. It lays very well when opened and how the book navigates through the history of Aesop, its products, design, ethos, architecture, etc. is clearly done meticulously. The intentionality with which Aesop approaches development and product creation is highlighted and it's a fantastic resource for those who are looking to infuse a touch of that Aesop concept/design into their own brands, life, work, etc..
February 6, 2022
A must read not only for Aesopians who work or worked at Aesop but anyone who fascinated by life and all essential elements that composite the world - art, food, literature, architecture & nature. Let’s celebrate life.
June 13, 2023
This is just the most incredible book. Laugh out loud funny.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews