And Suzanne Santos has a hand to play in every little detail of the the Aesop brand. “We’ve lived in the bathroom in a very matter-of-fact way, where we’ve tried to do things quickly; slap product on our face and rapidly clean our teeth,” she lamented at the time. Suzanne Santos. Our products are efficacious and distinctive, and for many customers have become a trusted friend that is not easily superseded. Business. The brain behind Aesop, Suzanne Santos divulges further on the skin benefiting properties of the brand’s new Sublime Replenishing Mask. She may cast a tranquil air, a hushed eloquence, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow. Australian skin, hair and body care brand Aesop is conquering the world, one store at a time. World. Aesop's Suzanne Santos. Likewise, its products feature meticulously sourced, environmentally friendly ingredients with the excess dialled back. aesop Take last year when I saw a parcel sitting on a colleague's desk. Reading time 4 minutes. Aesop has been a renegade of sorts in the wellness space, and as more brands move towards becoming cleaner, greener and more inclusive, they’re taking notes on the codes that have defined Aesop from day dot, as they say in Australia. View Suzanne Santos’ profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. The warm and soothing essential oils that fill the air, interiors carefully designed by world-class architects (like the stylish Aesop Midtown store in Tokyo by Torafu Architects, pictured above), the unpretentious brown pharmacy bottles with monochromatic labels, to the refreshing licorice tea served, take shoppers away from the harried rhythms of the city. Suzanne has 1 job listed on their profile. Aesop Minamiaoyama store, created in collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata. He has spoken highly of her, telling one interviewer, “Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but everything is richer. China. There are no rehearsed or publicist-approved answers; careful and considered in her responses, she possesses the kind of contemplative authenticity that has shaped the brand she’s helped to build over three decades. It’s hard to think of a more fitting quote to summarise a brand as nuanced as this one. Suzanne Santos is Aesop’s chief customer officer and I am in Rome to visit the Australian skincare brand’s first store in the Eternal City, the interiors of which have been overseen by Guadagnino—director of Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria— and his recently established design firm, Studio Luca Guadagnino. Right from its inception, through to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos. Economy. © 2021 Tatler Asia Limited. Sign up for our newsletters to get all our top stories delivered. Santos describes them as “places for peace and quiet contemplation”. Our online business is an extension of our retail stores, not a substitution. Javascript is disabled!common.-_please_enable_js, As beauty and wellness become increasingly driven by values rather than value, the influence of Aesop and its pioneering concept is becoming undeniable. Suzanne Santos. suzanne santos It is our quest to do less and do it well. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window). Conducted over Zoom, Santos spent much of our discussion pacing around her sun-soaked Melbourne living room, dressed in a loose white ensemble and thick-framed glasses. Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area. Aesop has also rejected the promotion of beauty ideals. More than a retrospective journey into the brand’s history, it is a love letter to the artisans, artists and architects that have inspired and shaped the brand. In this fickle global beauty retail market, how does Aesop manage to keep the integrity of its brand? Suzanne Santos co-founded Australian skincare brand Aesop in 1987 By Coco Marett January 09, 2021 As beauty and wellness become increasingly driven by values rather than value, the influence of Aesop and its pioneering concept is becoming undeniable Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. The book opens with this quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. We created a genuine reason for our skin care products to exist in an over-saturated market. She questions everything rigorously … Each Aesop store has a distinct architectural design, and provides a calm and inviting environment for customers to experience our product and receive genuine service. A perfect example is the recently launched collection of Aesop candles. From its inception, Aesop product was an exception in the beauty industry, and customers welcomed the high-quality alternative. eco-friendly beauty For over 30 years, we have celebrated and respected individuality rather than conforming to conventional media notions of how beauty and wellness should look and feel. cult brand This difference is our fuel and distinction in a crowded marketplace of uniformity. But few brands can claim to have Suzanne Santos: Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator is unique in containing two carefully selected, synergistic blends of ingredients, each with superb skin-soothing properties. For as long as there has been Aesop, the famed cult brand from Australia who marries scientific excellence with au naturale botany, there has been Suzanne Santos, who has moved through various roles in the company to … More than seemingly basic skincare, customers are paying for ethical ingredients, the appeal of treading lightly on the environment and the meticulous in-house research and development that promises both quality and moral consistency. Our core philosophy has remained unwavering for 30 years; to deliver products of the finest quality, speak honestly and intelligently to our customers, and never prey on their weaknesses or insecurities. The general manager and brand advocate has been with the label for more than two decades. We had a strong belief in the quality of our products and how customer service should be delivered so we chose to grow Aesop through investment in retail stores. My interest piqued, I asked if we could continue our conversation after the panel. In 1987, our first products were a range of four hair care products free of artificial fragrance and colour. - In the latest instalment in our series with luxury CEOs, we sat down with Suzanne Santos, chief customer officer of Aesop, who has spearheaded the luxury 09.29.2020 by Joyce Fan . Take last year when I saw a parcel sitting on a colleague's desk. “We have adhered to a fiercely independent approach to skincare, and found our voice by operating outside of the industry,” Santos tells me in a follow-up conversation. The Aesop Tokyo store in Nakameguro, designed by Shinichiro Ogata. Aesop GM Suzanne Santos says avoiding clichés is key. In order to provide you with the best possible experience, this website uses cookies. As a brand known for its unmistakably earthy scents—Aesop has made faces smell of herbaceous parsley seed, nourished hands with notes of cedar atlas and rosemary leaf, and even masked bathroom unpleasantries with its tangerine peel and ylang ylang “Post-Poo Drops”—one wonders why it’s taken 33 years to release something as simple and, frankly, commercial, as a candle. Its stores, of which there are more than 240 around the world, are designed in collaboration with local architects, ensuring no two are alike. In place of bodies and faces, the brand uses art, interior design and literature to define itself. And with online shopping becoming more prevalent, why does Aesop continue to invest so much in its physical stores? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. Melbourne, Australia. After all, Aesop has made people do something that skincare brands usually don’t: it has made them think. And Suzanne Santos has a hand to play in every little detail of the the Aesop brand. We aimed from the outset to shift and evolve expectations of what great service and beautiful products could be. It operates 177 stores, and another 84 department counters, across 20 countries. We catch up with Aesop's Suzanne Santos in Melbourne to hear her side of the story See also: 5 Beauty Trends To Expect In 2021, Wellness I first met Suzanne Santos, co-founder and chief customer officer of Aesop, when we appeared together on a panel to discuss how Covid-19 has transformed the beauty industry. The general manager and brand advocate has been with the label for more than two decades. In this age of technological disruption, how has the global retail landscape changed for premium beauty brands like Aesop? Each store is different but still unified in theme – an authenticity. Its androgynous packaging also makes Aesop one of the early gender-neutral beauty companies, characterised by using art and literature, rather than models, to represent the brand, which is apt since it was named after an ancient Greek storyteller. 36.2k Followers, 1,106 Following, 756 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Suzanne Santo (@soozanto) I first met Suzanne Santos, co-founder and chief customer officer of Aesop, when we appeared together on a panel to discuss how Covid-19 has transformed the beauty industry. Suzanne Santos co-founded Australian skincare brand Aesop in 1987 By Coco Marett January 08, 2021 As beauty and wellness become increasingly driven by values rather than value, the influence of Aesop and its pioneering concept is becoming undeniable Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. We have always encouraged our customers to use each product with a sense of purpose.”. “[We] speak honestly and intelligently to our customers, and never prey on their weaknesses or insecurities…” – Suzanne Santos. A recent interview with Aesop exec Suzanne Santos reveals that "you need a blend of well-chosen man-made ingredients with exceptional botanical ingredients to … Suzanne shares with The Beauty Gazette on how Aesop stays true in a busy marketplace. Her demeanour is at first intimidating, then refreshing, then captivating. “Now, we have this pause, and the bathroom is a place where there is consideration. sustainable beauty The cosy Aesop Shibuya store was designed in collaboration with Torafu Architects. Some examples: Aesop has never used animal testing on any of its products, which are 100 per cent cruelty-free and vegan, and housed in eco-friendly amber glass bottles to preserve the potent botanical extracts. “The beauty industry has acknowledged that it can no longer speak in the same voice [that it has] and the demands of that will become higher, and the relinquishing of brands that don’t respond will be clear.”, A pioneer in slow, clean beauty, Aesop has always used sustainable packaging—its amber glass bottles are instantly recognisable, and a common sight in upscale hotel and restaurant restrooms around the world. We opened our first store in 2004 and now have retail stores in 20 countries around the world. These products sold well as there was simply nothing like it available from traditional beauty brands. Tech. Enter your email address to subscribe to The Beauty Gazette. Suzanne Santos is the woman responsible for the brand, and along with Aesop’s founder, Dennis Paphitis, their extraordinary vision and determination to do things the ‘Aesop way’, has seen the company become an international success story. Sport. View Suzanne Santos’ profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Great post, I have to try out their products, I never tried them before. Suzanne Santos Realtor/Associate at Lowell International Realty. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. No market place is too crowded for high quality and authentic products, and our founder Dennis Paphitis felt there was an opportunity to create exceptional hair, skin and body products. "Combination skin has gone from being a minority group to a predominant answer customers provide when faced with the question 'tell us about your skin'," explains Suzanne Santos, Aesop's Chief Customer Officer who has been with the brand since its inception in Melbourne in 1987. I personally welcome the shift in demand for more time to nurture and celebrate oneself. Meet Aesop’s Suzanne Santos Health & Beauty / By Portia Campbell With over 150 stores all around the world, Melbourne-born globally loved skincare brand Aesop is well known for creating bespoke, meaningful retail experiences as much as they are known for their skincare, haircare and bodycare range. 【專訪】Aesop共同創辦人Suzanne Santos分享的夜間小習慣對忙碌的都市人來說是一場考驗？ 最近做的一個夢是什麼？ 在這不平静的一年裡，你的日與夜過得怎麼樣？ Today, Aesop marks its 30th Anniversary in the business. Suzanne has 1 job listed on their profile. You soon come to realise that, like Aesop, Santos simply doesn’t operate the same way others of her ilk do. All rights reserved. Aug 2, 2012 - I'm a sucker for a clever idea. For Santos, it means staying true to the brand’s ethos, and letting that guide their next few steps. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Aesop-Chefin Suzanne Santos erzählt, mit welchen Tricks sie trotz Quarantänestress erholt aussieht, was wir aus der Isolation lernen können und … “We have included literary quotes within our products and spaces as a way of expressing our points of view and creating resonance with our customers,” Santos explains. Valentineâs Day 2021: 7 Ideas To Make Your âLove Lockdownâ A Little Extra. Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. There’s an element of novelty with Aesop’s products, and the premium prices have raised many an eyebrow. Right from its inception, through to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos. Since it was founded in 1987 in Melbourne, the Australian skincare brand has drummed up an army of conscious customers who care about design, the environment, consumption and, if we’re being real, status. I have to try out their products, I asked if we could continue our conversation after the panel store... 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