Kengo Kuma designs Aman skincare for its 30th birthday

Aman skincare range, with bottles designed by Kengo Kuma — (Image credit: Kengo Kuma)

Strange though it is to compare a face cream to a bunch of buildings, the new skincare line from Aman does it’s best to embody all the sense of place, architecture, nature and wellbeing that the resort chain famously espouses. Aman Formations is launching on the occasion of the resort’s 30th anniversary. Taking no risks on the bottle design they charged Kengo Kuma with shaping containers that would visually make the connection. The resort’s Eastern origins are channelled in the sake bottle silhouettes while stone, representing permanence, and water, representing the flow of time are referenced in the containers’ finish.

‘We wanted to combine a sense of Japanese material tradition with simple modern lines, into a new and timeless combination,’ Kuma explains of the design. ‘The starting point was a conversation between me, Mr. Vladislav Doronin [chairman and CEO of Aman], and our teams. Our aim was to arrive at something elegant and well considered, without anything superfluous. Careful consideration (that is: time well spent) is the hidden aspect of luxury, and we felt that this essence was necessary.’

With Aman's properties the world over, from Bhutan to the Caribbean via Morocco, all ingredients are arguably local. The exotic roll call includes powdered pearl, Palo Santo, cactus oil, algaes, wild-harvested butters and muds from the rainforest, amethyst and jade, copper and silver.

The active aspects of these ingredient gems have been targeted for their ability to restore, transport and transform, the same ambition the various destinations themselves boast. Grounding Amethyst Bath and Shower oil, purifying Active Marine Mask, nourishing Silk Cocoon Face Cream are examples from the three skincare families. They can’t replace a body, heart and soul nourishing trip to Amangiri in the Utah desert, but do go some way to plugging the gap.

A version of this article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*251)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Aman website