Cosmetics brand Aesop has opened its first directly managed store in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district. Following on from its Kyoto store, which opened last year, the store design is a collaboration with Shinichiro Ogata of SIMPLICITY.

The design embodies a refined industrial beauty while incorporating fragments of Shinsaibashi's past, a time when the development of water transportation led to a flourishing commercial center, home to bridges of all sizes, storehouses, and lumberyards. The store's two-story atrium features tall columns lining the walls from floor to ceiling, evoking the view of the lumber wholesalers of "Zaimokuhama." The latticed wooden shelves between them are a continuation of the design of traditional storehouses. Furthermore, the steel beams running across the upper space of the store pay homage to the days when Shinsaibashi was once a railroad bridge connecting the north and south sides of Chuo Ward.

The store features a full lineup of Aesop products, and product introductions are available from consultants.