A cultural connection
In 2025, Aesop partners with Saatchi Gallery as their first Sensory Patron - enriching the visitor experience through an enlivening of the senses. This is not out of character for a brand that has long been an enthusiastic supporter of the arts, and whose deep-seated creative streak emerges in its nonconformist approach to all endeavours, from customer service to fragrance creation to store design. With Saatchi Gallery’s unparalleled heritage as a curatorial luminary in British contemporary arts, the relationship is a natural merging of the sensorial and the cultural.
A new sensation
As Sensory Patron, Aesop will hang its formulations in the bathrooms and galleries, to be generously enjoyed by visitors eager to cleanse and hydrate their hands to a level that is the sensorial equivalent of the culturally enlightening environs. Meanwhile, intensely hydrated fingers will make moments of heavy chin stroking pleasurably smoother. Visitors who are as taken with the hand washes and balms as they are with the cerebrum-spurring artworks will be able to purchase Aesop formulations from the gallery’s gift shop.
A partnership rooted in philanthropy
It is not merely on a creative plane that the interests of Aesop and Saatchi Gallery intersect, but also on a philanthropic one. Saatchi Gallery is self-funded, reinvesting all revenues into its core charitable activities and philanthropic mission to make contemporary art accessible to all. As a registered charity, the Gallery relies on the support of its partners and patrons. Similarly, Aesop has always taken its social responsibility seriously - most visibly since 2017 with the establishment of the Aesop Foundation, although the brand has been actively supporting the communities and neighbourhoods in which it operates since its creation in 1987. As Saatchi Gallery is located but a minute’s walk from Aesop’s Duke of York store in Chelsea, the partnership is a natural continuation of this legacy. Delightedly, it occurs as the Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary with a year of showpiece exhibitions and activities. To aid with such activities, members of Aesop staff will also have the option—and distinct privilege—of volunteering in the Gallery’s learning department during their working hours.
A shopfront for young artists
Endowed as Aesop is with a number of retail spaces of well-considered design, the brand will utilise a selection of their London stores to exhibit five emerging artists selected by Saatchi Gallery. In addition to creating an opportunity to promote their talents beyond the Gallery walls, this will offer moments of artistic gratification to the culturally curious individuals who peruse Aesop’s shelves. A separate collaboration will see a Saatchi associated artist design a floral installation at Aesop Duke of York as part of the neighbourhood’s annual Chelsea in Bloom extravaganza.
A series of sensorial support
Aesop’s partnership with Saatchi Gallery will be followed by other such collaborations. In April 2025, the brand will become the first official Sensory Patron of Milan’s Salone del Mobile—the annual showcase of the world’s most innovative and intriguing furniture design.
About Aesop
Aesop was established in Melbourne in 1987, and has since been formulating products with efficacy foremost in mind - their complex, distinctive aromas are but an incidental treat. The range now spans skin, hair and body care, as well as fragrance and accessories for the self and home. Some of the ingredients used are plant-based; others are laboratory-made; all are ethically sourced and have a proven record of safety. Aesop -a Certified B Corporation™ - does not test its formulations or ingredients on animals. All Aesop products are vegan, Leaping Bunny approved, and included on PETA's cruelty-free and vegan lists. They are available at aesop.com, in Aesop signature stores and department store counters, and from select like-minded retailers across the globe.
