If the name Frederic Fekkai conjures images of voluminous hair and 80s supermodels, you wouldn’t be wrong. After all, the superstar hairstylist arrived in New York mid-eighties and, at the behest of Calvin Klein in 1989, opened up shop in Bergdorf Goodman. A cavalcade of celebrity clients (Jessica Lange, Jodi Foster) and a best-selling haircare line ensued.
But you also wouldn’t be wrong if the storied hairdresser’s name conjures idyllic olive trees, roses, and terracotta-walled manor houses in the south of France. After all, Fekkai originally hails from the pastoral Aix-en-Provence, which is where he and his wife Shirin recently co-founded the slow beauty line Bastide. The clean-ingredient bodycare (perfume, body cream) and lifestyle (candles, pot pourri) collection hinges precisely on the terroir from Fekkai’s hometown and local artisans’ savoir faire.
That Fekkai bridges haircare with a beauty line of fresh and natural ingredients isn’t that big of a leap. He was the first to introduce shea butter to haircare with his Essential Shea Collection while also introducing mass-market sulfate-free shampoos over a decade ago. Clean beauty is inherently part of his DNA. So when he and Shirin first launched Bastide, it was a homecoming of sorts for the couple who saw the opportunity to build a company that would center on original Gallic fare.
While Provence might be best known as the O.G. foodie locavore’s dream hangout, it’s a place rife with elements equally suited for beauty gurus. Indeed, the entire non-toxic Bastide line channels the area’s bounty with ingredients including fleur de sel, orange blossom, and lavender.
Bastide, Aix-en-Provence introduces the brand’s first skincare essentials to add to its growing stable of bodycare and luxury home products. The Elixir II Nourishing Oil for Face & Décolleté draws upon anti-oxidant hazelnut oil, Provence melon oil, and cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil to shield and protect from pollution, while the Beauté d’Argile Purifying Clay Mineral Mask harnesses French Roussillon red clay treatment to gently purify congested pores and red rice extract to replenish the skin’s moisture and promote healthy collagen production.
Bastide, Aix-en-Provence is exclusive to Holt Renfrew.
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