LONDON — Australian skin care and fragrance brand Aesop is expanding and unveiling a new store on Regent Street in central London.

This is the brand’s fifth store in the British capital. It has other locations in Covent Garden, Seven Dials, Soho and Shoreditch.

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Aesop has moved into the space previously occupied by clothing and outerwear brand Matchless London, which opened a London flagship in May 2021.

The new outpost draws inspiration from the style of Georgian and Regency-era architect John Nash, who designed the Royal Pavilion in Brighton; Marble Arch; Buckingham Palace, and Regent Street with his collaborator James Burton.

The large, minimal space is meant to be an oasis of calm on the busy shopping street, and channel the essence of Aesop.

The oversized, stately basin in the store’s principal room is an ode to the water fountains of Regency architecture; the arched ceilings point to the cupolas of classical design. It’s a first in the U.K. besides Australia where customers can test out the products on their faces.

There are two doors inside: one leads to the Sensorium, which the brand describes as “an intimate space” where customers can sample the fragrances and even diffuse an item of clothing with their chosen Aesop scent by placing the garment on a hanger that’s sprayed and left to linger for a few minutes.

The other door opens to the facial room, which is meant to emulate a cozy living room with soft furnishings complemented by muted timber and cork.

Courtesy of Aesop

Each Aesop location is distinct and in character with its neighborhood, but in keeping with the brand’s minimalist design aesthetic. The Covent Garden