It has been a decade since Aesop first opened up shop in Germany, in Berlin‘s happening Mitte district to be precise, followed by a gradual expansion nationwide. However, the Australian cosmetics brand has kept an eye on the sprawling German capital and recently opened its fourth outpost on the fast-emerging luxury shopping artery Kurfürstendamm. The iconic avenue, an international hub of culture, entertainment, and yes, notorious debauchery until World War II, has gradually gained new lustre in recent years as Berlin‘s leading luxury shopping district. The Aesop store occupies an 86 sqm. (926 sq.ft.) ground floor unit in the modernised plinth of a landmark building that’s now home to the Azimut Hotel, rubbing shoulders with KaDeWe department store and a growing number of boutiques of leading upscale brands from across the planet.

The interior design, created by Aesop‘s in-house design team, takes cues from Bauhaus architecture and a mysterious old sepia movie – mind you, we’re guessing it’s German director Richard Oswald‘s silent Kurfürstendamm film (1920) – which is sadly considered lost. Exposed brick walls are paired with a metal grid ceiling and concrete flooring in a deep green hue. A cylindrical shape is clad in repurposed wax panels sourced from a beauty salon on rue St.-Honoré in Paris while at the same time it’s lined with a curved bench and cabinets. In a nod to monochrome cinematography, additional shelving units and cabinets are dipped in a similar monochrome grey-beige hue. Taking centre stage is a sizeable rectangular service and display counter with embedded wash basins. The new Aesop store stocks the brand’s full range of face, body and hair care products, in addition to fragrances and home products.