Amble through the City of Fountains, just past the timelessly elegant Place d’Albertas, and you’ll find your way to our Bastide’s flagship boutique, which opened its doors for the first time in June at 14 Rue Esparait.
Nestled within the heart of Aix-en-Provence, the home of our founder Frédéric Fekkai; our boutique was thoughtfully designed and constructed by local artisans to evoke the warm, inviting ambiance of a quintessential bastide, a signature country manor house found in the South of France. We worked closely with the talented Amelia Tavella, an Architect from Aix-en-Provence who won the 2016 Best Female Architect of France. Using both traditional know-how and modern architecture, Amelia captures the soul of Bastide’s products and brand personality. As our first store and flagship in our hometown, we knew the store must stay true to our brand values: loving and respecting natural materials and working with local artisans.
Step inside the Bastide flagship, located at 14 rue Espariat, and you will be greeted by a picturesque lavoir that serves as the boutique’s centerpiece. Carved out of single block of stone, the lavoir is a nod to the traditional communal washing place around which villagers would gather to socialize. Every element of the flagship, from its lime-washed walls to its sand-stone arches, is meant to inspire a feeling of home and relaxation for visitors, while espousing
the sanctity of reveling in the simple pleasures of life, the cornerstone of la vie bastide.
The eaux de toilette, soaps, creams, bath salts, candles are arranged on floating, hand-carved stone shelves. Dedicated to clean and natural living, the collection is inspired by Provence’s approach to wellness, nurturing beauty from within and without, a philosophy respected, practiced, and imbued in every formulation. The region’s lush landscape puts forth the herbs, flowers, essential oils and honey that comprise the exquisitely sensorial products for skin, body and home.
Expert beautisans – Bastide’s beauty artisans with generations of category-specific savoir faire – handcraft each product, paying homage to the collection’s commitment to living authentically. Whether you choose to savor the start of the day by indulging in the Provence honey and olive oil-infused Figue d’Ete Hand and Body Lotion, or wind down in the evening by lighting the Hand Blown Ambre Soir Candle, inviting Bastide into your daily rituals will awaken a sense of peaceful presence and remind you of the blissful moments that surround you, if you just remember to look.
With this unique space, we want to interpret and share the quintessence of Bastide as we know it in our heart and mind. This flagship marks the beginning of a great adventure ahead. We are extremely pleased to share our world with you at 14 Rue Espariat in Aix-en-Provence.