AESOP Corso Magenta. Milano, Italy
A whimsical homage to Italian design and domesticity
Aesop’s second Milan signature store opened recently on the Corso Magenta, on the corner of via San Giuovanni sul Muro and across from famed bakery Marchesi. This historic district is a microcosm of the city’s dynamic elegance – and home to Leonardo Da Vinci’s High Renaissance masterwork ‘The Last Supper’. Created in collaboration with Milanese design DIMORESTUDIO, the new 35-square metre space is both a whimsical essay on materials typically employed in butlers’ pantries of 1930s Italian villas and a contemporary version of the small neighbourhood bottega still common in this area.
Nuanced greens, yellows and pinks, muted as if to cover every surface in talcum powder, herald the trip back in time. Glossy teal subway tiles cover the planes and arches of the ceiling, contrasted with lemon-yellow corner shelving. Product display cabinets are of the same green tone, their rounded window frames referencing an early twentieth-century aesthetic. Soft grey linoleum covers the Foor, complemented by two mid-century velvet-upholstered chairs and a stainless steel demonstration sink which effects a nod to those traditionally used for food preparation. Illuminating the entire interior are two large discs suspended by a canopy of brass rods with decorative fibreglass shades that filters light through faded amber motifs.
Clients can explore and select from a complete range of skin, hair and body care products, distinguished by botanical and laboratory-generated ingredients of the highest quality. The store’s trained consultants are able to offer advice about products best suited to individual needs.
Aesop was founded in Melbourne in 1987 and today offers its superlative formulations in signature stores around the world. As the company evolves, meticulously considered design remains paramount to the creation of each space.
