Aēsop was my first stop during Milan Design Week — and it set the tone. Scent, architecture, and silence, all in one poetic enviromnent. The Melbourne-born skincare brand is known for its minimalist formulations and understated design. Their presentation, housed inside the Chiesa del Carmine, offered a different kind of luxury, matching classic and current.
Walking over cobblestones and uneven streets, past one beautiful church after another, I was already in awe. The architecture. The atmosphere. The stylish people. And the long queues winding through the Brera district — all for the week’s most talked-about installations, collaborations, and presentations.
The visit began with a scented arrival — a statement glass object filled with fragrant oils. Visitors were invited to tap it and smell the base ingredients of the Eleos collection. Multisensory and precise.
Under the arched passage, a row of sculptural handwash basins invited guests to pause. Each held Aēsop’s signature cleansing product and a large glass water container— a moment of care, tactile and understated. Guests were encouraged to wash their hands. Simple. Intentional. Quietly luxurious.
Just beyond, in the open space, a long table by Sebastian Cox offered a place to reflect. The British designer created one of the largest pieces of furniture on show: a 16.5-metre table, made from British-grown cedar of Lebanon and chestnut. On its surface, golden abstract forms evoking skin and the human figure. Everyone leaned closer, curious to inhale the details.
In another part of the installation — where only a few visitors were allowed in at once — walls were lined with panels made using Eleos Aromatique Hand Balm as a scented mortar. The scent hung softly in the air. The dimmed room was filled with cloud-like fragrance and scattered wooden branches — a gentle maze of scent and form.
Projected in the back room was a short film featuring dancer Nayoung Kim of Tanztheater Wuppertal, echoing the ritual of cleansing through movement. The performance carried the quiet, precise intensity that once defined the company under Pina Bausch. A day earlier, I heard, three dancers from the ensemble had performed across the long table in the open space.
“Adventure is worthwhile.” — Aesop the Fabulist
Photography by the author during Milan Design Week.
Discover more: www.aesop.com
