Downtown Tag

SHANGHAI — For its first brick-and-mortar retail store in mainland China, Aesop picked a leafy serpentine street called Dongping Road in the previous French Concession of downtown Shanghai. Aesop’s in-house design team spent almost a 12 months fine-tuning the shop. The 2-story, 3,230-square-foot space touts a homey ambience with locally sourced materials that “pays homage to Chinese craftsmanship,” in response to the brand. Sleek basins that take center stage at the shop are made with Guizhou travertine stone, which local artisans sculpted. A ceiling cushioned by a wheat-straw installation handwoven by Chinese artist Didi Wu evokes local handicraft traditions still utilized within the Shanghai region. Vintage French furniture and light-weight fixtures that furnish the shop add to its discreet appeal. Sleek basins take...