Natural beauty brand Aesop has taken inspiration from the academic and natural world with the opening of its latest store in Cambridge, UK.
Said to provide a tranquil, studious environment, the new location is inspired by the surrounding area's academic and archival collections and features botanical textures and aromas made with local plant matter.
![A look inside Aesop's new academia-inspired Cambridge store](/article-image-alias/a-look-inside-aesop-s-new-academia-inspired-2.jpg)
Shoppers will be able to browse the brand's complete range of botanical-inspired skin, hair and body care products, which are displayed on shelves made from hand-cut English freshwater bulrush, from punts on Cambridgeshire's River Great Ouse.
![A look inside Aesop's new academia-inspired Cambridge store](/article-image-alias/a-look-inside-aesop-s-new-academia-inspired-3.jpg)
Aesop's trained consultants will also be on hand to advise consumers on products best suited to their individual needs at the store, which features shelves and cabinetry made from resin-pressed hemp, said to recall the burnished surfaces of old writing desks.
![A look inside Aesop's new academia-inspired Cambridge store](/article-image-alias/a-look-inside-aesop-s-new-academia-inspired-4.jpg)
This is not the first time the Natura & Co-owned brand – which takes its name from the famous Greek fable writer – has championed the written word.
Last year, the brand dedicated space in its Soho and Borough destinations in the UK to showcase a 'Queer Library' of literature written by members of the LGBTQ+ community and supporters.
Meanwhile, this May Aesop unveiled a temporary installation at its Coal Drops Yard store, near London’s King’s Cross, UK, for its Sounds of Sisterhood campaign, featuring a collection of quotations designed to honour women and their stories.