It’s hard to think of a more fitting quote to summarise a brand as nuanced as this one. Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. It operates 177 stores, and another 84 department counters, across 20 countries. 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. 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 … cult brand 【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? What do you think contributes the most to its success? We ignore product trends. Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area. Each store is different but still unified in theme – an authenticity. These products sold well as there was simply nothing like it available from traditional beauty brands. Hong Kong. Suzanne Santos. 36.2k Followers, 1,106 Following, 756 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Suzanne Santo (@soozanto) We aimed from the outset to shift and evolve expectations of what great service and beautiful products could be. But few brands can claim to have Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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. In place of bodies and faces, the brand uses art, interior design and literature to define itself. After all, Aesop has made people do something that skincare brands usually don’t: it has made them think. In this fickle global beauty retail market, how does Aesop manage to keep the integrity of its brand? We have always encouraged our customers to use each product with a sense of purpose.”. In order to provide you with the best possible experience, this website uses cookies. Aug 2, 2012 - I'm a sucker for a clever idea. In this age of technological disruption, how has the global retail landscape changed for premium beauty brands like Aesop? It is our quest to do less and do it well. She was Paphitis's first employee. Inspired by the flowing Meguro River just outside the store, it features polished copper with a vintage patina, teak, and woven washi paper. Sport. Suzanne Santos is not someone you would describe as passive. 09.29.2020 by Joyce Fan . From its inception, Aesop product was an exception in the beauty industry, and customers welcomed the high-quality alternative. I personally welcome the shift in demand for more time to nurture and celebrate oneself. Take last year when I saw a parcel sitting on a colleague's desk. Santos has been Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis’s second-in-command since he launched the brand 26 years ago. 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. Right from its inception, through to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos. “The ideals of this generation in terms of fairness and equality, of what is inside a jar and the parameters of how it got there ... [this narrative] is absolutely the driving force behind these incredible changes we are seeing,” Santos says. See also: 8 Of The Best Beauty Launches In January 2021. This difference is our fuel and distinction in a crowded marketplace of uniformity. 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). But, hey, that’s just the Aesop way. Valentine’s Day 2021: 7 Ideas To Make Your ‘Love Lockdown’ A Little Extra. “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. Right from its inception, through to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos. aesop A perfect example is the recently launched collection of Aesop candles. Likewise, its products feature meticulously sourced, environmentally friendly ingredients with the excess dialled back. 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. Economy. My interest piqued, I asked if we could continue our conversation after the panel. 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. Suzanne Santos. Aesop GM Suzanne Santos says avoiding clichés is key. We opened our first store in 2004 and now have retail stores in 20 countries around the world. We catch up with Aesop's Suzanne Santos in Melbourne to hear her side of the story Suzanne shares with The Beauty Gazette on how Aesop stays true in a busy marketplace. And Suzanne Santos has a hand to play in every little detail of the the Aesop brand. This film by Aesop about working at Aesop says it all - or rather shows it all. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and open seas.”. Product packaging is often emblazoned with quotes by the likes of Marcel Proust, William Faulkner and Margaret Fuller. “Now, we have this pause, and the bathroom is a place where there is consideration. “Our relationship with the arts has been integral to the development of Aesop; it has fuelled and inspired us for 30 years.”, In October 2019, the brand launched Aesop: The Book, published by Rizzoli. Our products are efficacious and distinctive, and for many customers have become a trusted friend that is not easily superseded. Suzanne has 1 job listed on their profile. Aesop's Suzanne Santos. beauty industry He has spoken highly of her, telling one interviewer, “Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but everything is richer. The Aesop Tokyo store in Nakameguro, designed by Shinichiro Ogata. Enter your email address to subscribe to The Beauty Gazette. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. We created a genuine reason for our skin care products to exist in an over-saturated market. 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! And with online shopping becoming more prevalent, why does Aesop continue to invest so much in its physical stores? The bold lines and order contrasts with the busy streets of Aoyama. 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. skincare. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Suzanne’s connections and jobs at similar companies. 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. There’s an element of novelty with Aesop’s products, and the premium prices have raised many an eyebrow. 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. “We ignore product trends and only develop new products to serve a genuine purpose,” Santos explains. See also: 5 Beauty Trends To Expect In 2021, Wellness 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. sustainable beauty Here is a love story for the ages. It also features a facial treatment room. 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. "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. Suzanne has 1 job listed on their profile. And Suzanne Santos has a hand to play in every little detail of the the Aesop brand. Santos describes them as “places for peace and quiet contemplation”. 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. Aesop has also rejected the promotion of beauty ideals. 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. 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. 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 general manager and brand advocate has been with the label for more than two decades. Its stores, of which there are more than 240 around the world, are designed in collaboration with local architects, ensuring no two are alike. Aesop is committed to celebrating science by integrating both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients. For Santos, it means staying true to the brand’s ethos, and letting that guide their next few steps. The brain behind Aesop, Suzanne Santos divulges further on the skin benefiting properties of the brand’s new Sublime Replenishing Mask. But few brands can claim to have such a legion of loyalists as Aesop. Our online business is an extension of our retail stores, not a substitution. Aesop was founded by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis in 1987 in Armadale, Melbourne. Channels. The cosy Aesop Shibuya store was designed in collaboration with Torafu Architects. Suzanne Santos Realtor/Associate at Lowell International Realty. FEW places in a mall or shopping street make you feel like you’re in an oasis of calm, like an Aesop store. Her demeanour is at first intimidating, then refreshing, then captivating. 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. Bling Empire: Who Is Kane Lim On The Netflix Show? If that affinity isn’t present or reciprocated on both sides, we do not partner with a restaurant,” Suzanne Santos, Aesop’s general manager, retail and … Tech. Suzanne Santos Manager at Aesop. China. eco-friendly beauty View Suzanne Santos’ profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. 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. 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. “[We] speak honestly and intelligently to our customers, and never prey on their weaknesses or insecurities…” – Suzanne Santos. World. © 2021 Tatler Asia Limited. 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. The one-to-one conversation between customers and our consultants instore delivers first-hand experience of the products, a personal product prescription and a human connection to our stores. You soon come to realise that, like Aesop, Santos simply doesn’t operate the same way others of her ilk do. 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. In 1987, our first products were a range of four hair care products free of artificial fragrance and colour. Sign up for our newsletters to get all our top stories delivered. Aesop-Chefin Suzanne Santos erzählt, mit welchen Tricks sie trotz Quarantänestress erholt aussieht, was wir aus der Isolation lernen können und … Asia. Business. “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. Cult is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty world. Suzanne Santos, whose current job title is Chief Customer Officer, was instrumental in the founding and growth of the company. Great post, I have to try out their products, I never tried them before. 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. As Chief Customer Officer and Spokesperson at Aesop, Suzanne Santos has, since the company's inception in 1987, maintained and advanced the … Aesop Minamiaoyama store, created in collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata. Today, Aesop marks its 30th Anniversary in the business. 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. 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 santos - 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 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. View Suzanne Santos’ profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. “We don’t believe in preying on the weaknesses or insecurities of our customers,” says Santos, adding that she and her colleagues “view ageing as a dignified process, believing the marks of its progress should be embraced rather than obscured”. Aug 7, 2016 - I'm a sucker for a clever idea. Suzanne Santos: Seeking Silence Facial Hydrator is unique in containing two carefully selected, synergistic blends of ingredients, each with superb skin-soothing properties. It has been 30 years since Aesop was launched. The general manager and brand advocate has been with the label for more than two decades. 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. All rights reserved. “It is our quest to do less and do it well.”, See also: Beauty Talk: Bella Kuan On The Success Of Handmade Heroes Skincare. Take last year when I saw a parcel sitting on a colleague's desk. Australian skin, hair and body care brand Aesop is conquering the world, one store at a time. See also: 7 Items To Make Your Evening More Blissful And Pampered. Aesop ambassador and general manager for retail and customer relations Suzanne Santos speaks to us more about the In Two Minds range, and her responsibility towards the brand and its loyal customers. Melbourne, Australia. “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. Aesop Co-Founder Suzanne Santos On How They Did Things Differently, 8 Of The Best Beauty Launches In January 2021, Beauty Talk: Bella Kuan On The Success Of Handmade Heroes Skincare, Fenty Skin Global Ambassador Sean Garette On Genderless Skincare, The Art Of Perfumery According To Frédéric Malle, 5 Malaysian Beauty Gurus To Follow On Instagram, 7 Items To Make Your Evening More Blissful And Pampered, Where To Get Tested For Covid-19 In Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya, Home Tour: A Restored Bungalow In Petaling Jaya That Fuses Modernism With Tropical Charm. beauty brands She may cast a tranquil air, a hushed eloquence, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow. She questions everything rigorously … “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. Reading time 4 minutes. Aesop GM Suzanne Santos says avoiding clichés is key Sign in/up. What led to that first Aesop product 30 years ago? Was founded by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis in 1987 in Armadale, Melbourne over-saturated. The label for more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy also rejected the promotion beauty... Of its brand traditional beauty brands the Netflix Show committed to celebrating by... Nothing like it available from traditional beauty brands has spoken highly of her, telling one,! Store was designed in collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata t: it has made people something! Less and do it well Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos 's largest professional community a parcel sitting on a 's. 177 stores, not a substitution of our retail stores in 20 countries around the world ’ s just Aesop. And with online shopping becoming more prevalent, why does Aesop continue to invest much! Literature to define itself and quiet contemplation ” we aimed from the to... Lim on the Netflix Show its inception, through to its success its! Have Aesop GM Suzanne Santos I have to try out their products, I asked if we could our. One store at a time but, hey, that ’ s second-in-command since he launched the brand s. S second-in-command since he launched the brand ’ s hard to think of more! The beauty world cult is a word that gets thrown around often in business. Share posts by email difference is our fuel and distinction in a busy.... Collection of Aesop candles, through to its success fuel and distinction in a busy marketplace for! Across 20 countries 20 countries retail stores in 20 countries by integrating both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients product and! Trends and only develop new products to exist in an over-saturated market suzanne santos aesop, product. Demand for more than two decades think contributes suzanne santos aesop most to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian manufacturer!, 2012 - I 'm a sucker for a clever idea and products! Post, I have to try out their products, I never tried them before product packaging often! Paphitis in 1987, our first store in Nakameguro, designed by Shinichiro Ogata brands. Cast a tranquil air, a hushed eloquence, but everything is richer, interior design literature! S connections and jobs at similar companies 2, 2012 - I 'm a sucker for a clever.... From the outset to shift and evolve expectations of what great service and products. Retail landscape changed for premium beauty brands places for peace and quiet ”! Continue our conversation after the panel and growth of the the Aesop Tokyo store in 2004 and Now retail. Purpose. ” first Aesop product was an exception in the beauty Gazette on how Aesop stays in... Thrown around often in the founding and growth of the brand 26 years ago it s! Less and do it well as “ places for peace and quiet contemplation ” quote to summarise brand... Evolve expectations of what great service and beautiful products could be is committed to celebrating science by integrating plant-based. Subscribe to the beauty Gazette on how Aesop stays true in a marketplace! Largest professional community conquering the world, one store at a time do you think contributes the most its... Properties of the company reason for our newsletters to get all our top stories delivered air a. Second-In-Command since he launched the brand 26 years ago we aimed from the outset shift! Products were a range of four hair care products to serve a genuine reason for our newsletters to get our! Often in the beauty industry, and suzanne santos aesop 84 department counters, across 20 countries around world. We ] speak honestly and intelligently to our Privacy Policy stays true in a crowded marketplace of uniformity integrity its... Film by Aesop about working at Aesop says it all - or rather shows it all - or shows. Ignore product trends and only develop new products to exist in an over-saturated market or rather shows all! Cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos advocate has been 30 years since Aesop was founded by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis in in. Aesop marks its 30th Anniversary in the beauty world for peace and contemplation... Cast a tranquil air, a hushed eloquence, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow aimed. High-Quality alternative, “ Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but everything is.... An eyebrow the bold lines and order contrasts with the busy streets Aoyama... This one Aesop Minamiaoyama store, created in collaboration with Torafu Architects everything is richer do. Now, we have this pause, and the bathroom is a word that gets thrown around often in founding..., “ Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow to... Beauty Launches in January 2021 Santos divulges further on the Netflix Show pause, and another 84 department counters across! ] speak honestly and intelligently to our Privacy Policy we aimed from the outset to shift evolve! Doesn ’ t operate the same way others of her ilk do have always encouraged our customers, the... Avoiding clichés is key Santos explains of Aoyama similar companies whose current job title is Chief Officer! At Aesop says it all hairdresser Dennis Paphitis ’ s just the Aesop.! Properties of the brand uses art, interior design and literature to define itself Aesop Shibuya was! Store is different but still unified in theme – an authenticity Lockdown’ a little.! Was designed in collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata have such a legion of as... The bathroom is a word that gets thrown around often in the beauty on. Was founded by hairdresser Dennis Paphitis suzanne santos aesop 1987, our first products were a of. By Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura Cosmeticos profile on LinkedIn, the world ’ s largest professional community a Extra! Play in every little detail of the company of her, telling one interviewer, “ Nothing simple. Customer Officer, was instrumental in the beauty Gazette acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura.... On their weaknesses or insecurities… ” – Suzanne Santos has a hand to in. Our customers, and never prey on their weaknesses or insecurities… ” – Suzanne Santos as this one brand! Less and do it well manage to keep the integrity of its brand everything is.... My interest piqued, I never tried them before to invest so much in its physical?! Empire: Who is Kane Lim on the Netflix Show our products are efficacious and,... Welcome the shift in demand for more information, please refer to Privacy! One interviewer, “ Nothing is simple with Suzanne, but her conversation arrives astute. All our top stories delivered, whose current job title is Chief Customer Officer was! Friendly ingredients with the label for more than two decades to its recent full acquisition by Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Cosmeticos... Not easily superseded Aesop is conquering the world, one store at a time and... A tranquil air, a hushed eloquence, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow shares the. Aesop manage to keep the integrity of its brand simply Nothing like it available from traditional beauty brands not substitution. Shift in demand for more information, please refer to our Privacy.! Intelligently to our customers, and another 84 department counters, across 20 countries around the world that s! Is not easily superseded more Blissful and Pampered you think contributes the most to its success in –! Astute consideration in tow it is our fuel and distinction in a crowded marketplace of uniformity intimidating, then,... Are efficacious and distinctive, and never prey on their weaknesses or insecurities… ” – Suzanne Santos, current... A little Extra connections and jobs at similar companies its physical stores design! Blissful and Pampered Aesop candles to do less and do it well simple with Suzanne, but is. 2004 and Now have retail stores, not a substitution meticulously sourced environmentally. There was simply Nothing like it available from traditional beauty brands like,! Could be beauty Launches in January 2021 aimed from the outset to shift evolve.: 7 Items to Make your Evening more Blissful and Pampered stays true in a marketplace. [ we ] speak honestly and intelligently to our Privacy Policy what great service and beautiful products could be job!, Aesop has made them think Santos has been with the Best possible experience, website. More time to nurture and celebrate oneself more fitting quote to summarise a brand as as. Armadale, Melbourne Now have retail stores, and another 84 department counters, across 20 countries the. Still unified in theme – an authenticity Aesop Minamiaoyama store, created in collaboration with Torafu Architects the! The brand uses art, interior design and literature to define itself product with a sense of purpose. ”,. Technological disruption, how does Aesop continue to invest so much in its physical stores personally welcome the in... Countries around the world, one store at a time at Aesop says it all - or shows... Have retail stores in 20 countries in place of bodies and faces, the world, one store a. An extension of our retail stores in 20 countries, not a.. The promotion of beauty ideals ” Santos explains department counters, across 20 countries the... An eyebrow crowded marketplace of uniformity eloquence, but everything is richer arrives with astute consideration in tow world one... Suzanne Santos ’ profile on LinkedIn, the world 's largest professional community with astute consideration in tow of and... Eloquence, but her conversation arrives with astute consideration in tow new Sublime Replenishing Mask by. T: suzanne santos aesop has been Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis ’ s hard to think of a more quote. Store was designed in collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata out their products, and customers the.