‘Design, for us, is ultimately the highest expression of hospitality and care,’ says Aesop’s creative director, Aï Kato. It’s easy to forget, 39 years from when the first Aesop store opened in Melbourne, just how much it changed not just the beauty industry, but retail in general. Common features of the retail landscape now – designing stores to suit the aesthetic of its city; minimalist, apothecary-inspired aesthetics; transforming something as simple as a hand soap into a luxury status symbol – were all pioneered by the brand.
So it’s always interesting when Aesop announces something new, especially when it's something like its new redesign of all its perfume bottles and launch of its new perfume, Unforseen Aer. For Kato, who became creative director in 2023, redesigning the bottle was never about departing from the brand’s essential philosophy; rather, ‘it was an opportunity to rethink how we invite people closer to our personal fragrances, deepening the dialogue around them.’
The result is a taller, finer silhouette than the original bottle, a domed base, and a tactile basalt-textured cap inspired by the bluestone of Melbourne. The changes are subtle, but Kato asserts in order to understand the full impact of the new design, it must be seen within the context of the store. ‘It was conceived to exist harmoniously within our retail spaces alongside the rest of our formulations,’ she says. ‘Together with the packaging, which acts like a quiet library where each fragrance is framed through a small window,it creates a cohesive world. It is a gentle invitation for curious minds to step closer, discover, and reflect.’
The scent itself is classic Aesop: richly woody, with botanical notes and a touch of spice. Yet, this particular scent has an intense minerality that makes it unique among Aesop’s fragrance offerings and distinguishes it from most fragrances in general. A blend of petitgrain, eucalyptus, and geranium, it has an almost icy freshness–like the smell of skin after a swim in a cold mountain lake.
For Kato, the new fragrance, and the bottle it comes in, are an apt reflection of the philosophy that has guided Aesop from the beginning. ‘My vision is anchored in the belief that whenever we introduce something into the world, it must represent a meaningful step forward – for people, for our communities, and for the planet,’ she says. ‘At the end of the day, everything we do is a meaningful exchange between human beings. [Unforseen Aer] is an expression of deep respect for our heritage, an elevated experience for the wearer, and a more conscious, enduring object designed to accompany our daily lives for years to come.’
