BUCKTOWN — Aesop, an Australian skincare brand that has attracted a cult following, will open its first Midwest store along a tony shopping stretch of Damen Avenue already packed with other high-end cosmetic shops.
Established with "a quest to create a range of superlative products for the skin, hair and body" according to its website, Aesop will sell its beauty wares in a 1,000 square-foot vintage storefront at 1653 N. Damen Ave.
Just north of the Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues intersection, in an area that both Wicker Park and Bucktown boosters lay claim, the spot was previously home to designer Cynthia Rowley's boutique.
On Friday, an Aesop spokeswoman said, "We very much look forward to opening our doors in Chicago later this Spring and sharing further information on the unique details of the space closer to the time."
News of Aesop's entry into the area prompted Andy Friedman, a Bucktown resident, to tweet, "My husband will have a stroke from joy."
Dean Sluiter, a general contractor from Heartland Constructing Group, said on Thursday that if everything goes as planned, Aesop's interior build out will be completed in April.
"We're doing a complete rehab with natural elements in the interior and Chicago brick incorporated into the design. It will be really unique," Sluiter said.
Aesop's retail stores are known for each featuring a unique layout, using natural wood as well as concrete and steel, according to reports.
In a Deezen.com feature about Aesop's Top 10 store designs, the brand's founder Dennis Paphitis said he works with different designers to avoid "the kind of assault on the streetscape that retailers inflict through the ordinary course of mindless business."
Currently, fans can find Aesop's products inside Barney's at 15 East Oak St., Haberdash at 607 N. State St. and Asrai Garden, 1935 W. North Avenue. There are also eight dedicated Aesop stores in New York City.
Once open, Aesop will join Paris-based Diptyque, a fragrance specialist carrying perfume, plus face and body care products at 1645 N. Damen Ave., Lush Cosmetics, 1727 N. Damen Ave. and Benefit Cosmetics and Brow Bar, 1616 N. Damen Ave.
Many longtime Damen Avenue shops, the bulk locally owned, were replaced by out-of-state or European chains in recent years.
Over the summer,YellowKorner, a French chain of photo galleries, moved into the former caffe DeLuca at 1721 N. Damen Ave.
At 1630 N. Damen Ave., children's boutique Psychobaby relocated to Division Street, replaced by a now-shuttered Asics shoe store, while Riley Boutique at 1659 N. Damen Ave. shuttered in 2013 as New York City-based clothing designer Steve Alan joined the block.
Another independently owned shop, Stitch at 1723 N. Damen Ave., relocated to 1937 N. Damen Ave. in 2014 to make way for Peek Kids, a children's clothing chain based in San Francisco.
In 2014, Close Minded at 1732 N. Damen Ave., founded in 1972, closed after its owner retired. Vintage Charm, a small boutique chain based in LaGrange, took over the former Close Minded.
Other retailers on the street include Lululemon and two outdoor apparel shops, Stio, which opened over the summer and Swedish-based bag and parka maker Fjallraven.
