Aesop Madison Avenue

Stepping into a distinctive milieu

Right next door to our former location on Madison Avenue, where a well worn mosaic floor was further eroded by the feet of consultants and customers from 2013–2023, the company’s reimagined presence pays homage to the black-and-white sidewalk art that graces the nearby pavement of Perls Gallery. The coloured stone aggregate paving with steel edging is bold and graphic, featuring a checkerboard of parallel lines, half circles and sun rays. This section of Madison Avenue was a crucial site for the New York City art scene of the twentieth century. Our in-house design team abstracted this inspiration into a space of strong lines and contemporaneous furniture pieces.

The store gives the impression of having always been there: just as the sidewalk’s terrazzo defines entrances and flows on the ground, dark green portals mediate between the street and different areas of the establishment, which unfold as one ventures inside. A geometric, modular shelving system from the 1960s sits on one wall, opposite a 1950s timber cabinet. The centrepiece is a symmetrical arrangement of pedestal basins that allow visitors to explore Aesop’s range of products directly on their skin. Circular forms float overhead as a constellation of light and reflection.

In an atmosphere that could be described as halfway between a gallery and a domestic bathroom, dexterous consultants can recommend the products best suited to each customer’s individual needs. In the window, a mid-century sofa offers visitors a spot to pause, put their feet up and people-watch.