A trio of ecological installations

The design of Aesop Seongsu pays homage to the traditional Korean vernacular through naturally insulating earthen walls, timber locally sourced from structures no longer standing, and sustainable construction practices. Beyond the foyer, an internal courtyard garden—created out of a desire to celebrate the seasons and the land—encourages a dialogue between the community and nature. This environment makes the ideal setting for a multi-sensory experience that demonstrates regenerative practices at play in the design of Aesop’s spaces across the globe. As we continue to develop new creative approaches to store design and visual merchandising—from reusing existing furniture, to utilising locally sourced materials—this piece evokes a circular vision for future endeavours.

Here, visitors are invited to discover an ephemeral artwork by the store’s gardener, Daegil Lee, created from flora found in the garden, and a specially designed audio experience composed of assorted sounds from nature. The piece urges visitors to reflect on the unnoticed natural processes that are always at play—even in the bustle of the city.

An observation in sound, weaving a score of melodies in tribute of Jeju’s Seoyeongari and Gochang’s Ungok wetlands’ rich biodiversity.

A vivid symphony of insects and frogs reverberates through the Jeju landscape, exploring moments in nature after dusk settles and darkness begins to shroud the eyes.

A whirring of the wind through the trees is reminiscent of the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, while a chorus of birdsongs fill the Jeju’s Gotjawal Forest.

When developing new products, our selection of efficacious ingredients entails a careful consideration of their impact on the planet and communities. Since our inception, we have never tested our products on animals—nor do we use animal-derived components. At Aesop Garosu-gil, this conscientious ethos is expressed through a large-scale installation made from natural waste foraged from parks and streets in the Gangnam area. Together with the parks’ groundskeepers, our Visual Merchandising team picked leaves, twigs, branches and more to create the piece, with all materials later returned to fertilise the ground. This simple act mirrors nature’s cycle of renewal, and a desire to tread lightly on the environment. By 2030, our aim is for over 95% of ingredients used in our products to be renewable or natural, and for 95% of our rinse-off formulations to be fully biodegradable.

Our approach to packaging has remained largely unchanged over the years: vessels must be functional and modest, and have minimal environmental impact. Today, bottles for 500mL, 100mL and 50mL products are manufactured using 97% post-consumer recycled plastic, and materials such as 100%-recycled moulded pulp and 100%-recycled and FSC-certified card are utilised for select products, such as seasonal gift kits. Furthermore, since 2021, an in-store refill service is being trialled at Aesop South Yarra in Melbourne. As innovations such as these emerge, there is an opportunity to build a fully circular packaging lifecycle. Looking to this future ambition, Aesop Samcheong hosts a display of vases created using waste vinyl collected from the local area. Designed by artist Jisun Kim, these objects will spur discussions around circularity and single-use materials. Furthermore, since 2021, an in-store refill service is being trialled at Aesop South Yarra in Melbourne. Another development in Korea is the recent introduction of a Rinse and Return programme across six stores—namely the three hosting an Aesop Kyklos installation, as well as Aesop HanNam, Aesop Sounds Hannam, and Aesop Jeju. —namely the three hosting an Aesop Kyklos installation, as well as Aesop HanNam, Aesop Sounds Hannam, and Aesop Jeju. This initiative supports our commitment to minimise packaging waste and will be extended to further stores and counters in the region later in the year.

We are committed to transforming our business model to one that is truly circular and regenerative by 2030.