Aesop Fashion Walk

During their investigations, MLKK started musing on the unsung possibilities of cloudy pattern board—a household furniture finishing product that was ubiquitous in 1970s and 1980s Hong Kong, valued for its durability and inexpensiveness. The architects encountered ‘dead stock’ of the delicately decorative panels in old factories and distribution centres, and set themselves the challenge of crafting something functional out of it. The floor of Aesop Fashion Walk is thus a tribute to this culturally significant material: the reclaimed veneer was broken down into small shards which were then assembled into a floor mosaic that holds the history of local manufacturing while also welcoming new feet. The pale blue of the mosaic washes over the vaulted ceiling, whose boundaries with the walls are blurred by fluid lines, creating alcoves that offer respite and privacy. A monumental basin occupies the centre of the room, echoing the arched geometry and providing ample opportunity for customers to gather and connect while discovering our full range of formulations for the skin, hair, body and home. Further within, customers are guided by lengths of product display towards two adjacent niches of product exploration. On one side, individual basins allow for tailored consultations where customers can engage in product applications as if from the secluded comfort of their own bathroom. On the other, a Fragrance Armoire conceals our world of unconventional Eaux de Parfum. Honouring their first design for Aesop Fashion Walk, MLKK salvaged copper from the previous store and, with a local metalsmith, re-fashioned it to create the cabinet’s luminous interior. When customers open the Armoire, they will not only encounter a diverse array of fragrances—each carefully archived—but might also appreciate the meticulous Hong Kong craftsmanship and the story of material continuity.