• New York

    Living Beautifully – Sweet Love Sending from Provence

    Today, there is a beautiful story to tell – a very sweet story, full of warm and love. The story is going be told by Bastide.

    💗

    What is Bastide?

    [ba•steed]

    • A country house in Provence and the beating heart of a French family lifestyle.
    • A beauty & lifestyle brand that invites you to live more beautifully. 100% artisanally made in Provence, 100% non-toxic.

    • A renaissance and homecoming for Frederic Fekkai and his wife, Shirin von Wulffen.

    Bastide, a beauty and lifestyle collection inspired by the wellness philosophy of Provence and founded on a commitment to clean, toxin-free living. Created by Frédéric Fekkai and his wife Shirin von Wulffen, Bastide is beauty with a locavore twist.

    Born of a deep connection to place, formulated with herbs, flowers, oils and honey from the region’s lush terroir, Bastide’s sensorial products for skin, body and home are all made in local workshops by artisans — category experts whose roots go generations deep.

    (Aix Store)

    “Life in Aix is very much ‘at ease,’ the epitome of the good life. After spending years in New York, I knew my family and I would fnd renewal, relaxation, and meaningful moments together in Aix.

    Our world today is easily overwhelmed with distractions and feeting noise. I believe it is time to slow down, to think deeply about our beliefs in beauty, family, and our environment. We must live well to live more beautifully,  and we’re always able to nourish our spirits and fnd contentment with pleasure when we’re in Provence.

    (Aix Store)

    Bastide exists to bring rituals of “slow beauty” into the rush of everyday life. It transports the aura of wellbeing that is pervasive in Provence, and that is engrained in the Provençal way of being, into your life and home,” says von Wulffen, explaining that a bastide is a country home where families gather to share good food and laughter, to make memories and enjoy the slow life.

    The collection represents a homecoming for Fekkai—and a celebration of his native Aix-en-Provence as he knows and loves it today, where traditionally trained savonniers (soap makers), candlemakers, fragrance noses and glassmakers co-exist with organic chefs and contemporary designers, all intimately engaged with the landscape’s natural elements. Fekkai and von Wulffen returned to their family bastide in Aix with their children and recruited the best of these heritage makers—dubbed Bastide’s Beautisans—to compose and craft the collections’ lotions, soaps, fragrances and candles, and unexpected cult products like scented amber crystals.

    To achieve the Bastide promise of living beautifully, every product is formulated in accordance to the brand’s Black List, a rigorous filter of banned ingredients reflecting Fekkai and von Wulffen’s personal standards of better, safer beauty. Bastide follows a strict code of toxin-free ingredients (fragrances exceed the E.U. criteria for safety) and ensures each artisan’s workshop is eco-certified. Bastide also invests in the sustainable growing and cultivating of its locally sourced ingredients.

    “Provence taught me from an early age that beauty is more than the product that nurtures your skin,” says Fekkai. “Beauty is also the culture you live in and the environment that surrounds you—the land that awakens your senses, the aromatics that grow in your garden, the atmosphere of serenity you share with the people you love.

    “The essence of Provence, and the soul of Bastide, is the sensation of living beautifully— living simply and authentically, fed and nourished within and without.” Shirin vonWulffen

    POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

    Bastide

    • 100% artisanally made in Provence
    • 100% non-toxic
    • Formulated with generations of French beauty savoir-faire
    • A commitment to slow beauty and naturality
    • Environmentally kind packaging – minimizing waste with noble, reusable materials

    MADE BY BEAUTISANS

    (Beauty + Artisans)

    Bastide

    GENERATIONAL SAVOIR-FAIRE

    In the true French spirit of buying Bastide’s favorite bread from Bastide’s favorite boulangerie then trekking across town for the best cheese, Bastide works with the best, distinct category experts – not a one-stop-shop factory. From Bastide’s savonnier to Bastide’s fragrance nose to our candle-maker, the Beautisans are single-mindedly focused on their craft, equally well-versed in chemistry, natural ingredients, and traditional recipes.

    ROOTED IN PROVENCE

    Manufacturing in Provence gives Bastide access to its unparalleled quality of water, locally sourced ingredients, and uncompromising naturals indigenous to the lush region.

    ECO-CERTIFIED LABS

    Artisanal in size, but world class in their practices, Bastide’s Beautisans keep the Bastide promise of simple, clean formulas that deliver on their promise.

    Here are some products I love and would love to recommend to you

    Let’s live beautifully together

    • Fragrances

    Created by Bastide’s perfumer in Grasse, France, Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen’s collection of fragrances indulge and surprise your senses with elevated twists on signature notes of Provence. Wherever you are, these sparkling and memorable fragrances will bring you to the good life in the south of France.

    FIGUE AMOUR EAU DE TOILETTE

    In France, nearly all of the figs come from Provence.  Fig trees, with their broad, nurturing branches, dot the lush countryside, yielding juicy, succulent fruit.  Even more celebrated are the sweeping fig leaves that provide a comforting haven of respite, perfect for a mid-day sieste in the shade of the Mediterranean sun.  Figue Amour is a love note to these majestic fig trees whose leaves create a moment of pause for the soul and quiet intimacy with nature.

    • Home Ambiance

    What makes a place a home? Sensorial aromas help create lasting memories, shared with those special people. Artisanally made in Provence, home of Bastide’s co-founders Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen, Bastide’s home ambiance candles and potpourri indulge all the senses, for you and your home.

    AMBRE D’OR POTPOURRI CRYSTALS

    The best seller from Bastide’s heritage Côté Bastide collection, these beautiful potpourri crystals (called “Amber Gold” in French) are infused with Bastide’s signature Ambre fragrance and have enchanted homes for a quarter century.

    • Hand & Body

    Bastide pampers you head to toe with luxuriously simple, naturally potent products made by artisans in the south of France, using local ingredients and always 100% non-toxic, for indulgence without moderation. Enjoy a generous selection of sulfate-free, paraben-free, silicone-free hand wash, hand cream, body lotion, body oil, body wash, and soaps chosen by co-founders Frédéric Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen.

    FIGUE D’ETE NATURAL BODY WASH

    Ideal for sensitive or dry skin, this body wash is extra gentle and pampering. Be kind to your body and skin and trade the typical, chemical-heavy shower gels that dry out your skin for this gentle body wash made with Provence olive oil and coconut oil. A silky, gentle formula that glides and cleanses, leaving your skin soft and supple. Artisanally made in small batches (soap cauldrons) without SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). The fragrance blooms in the shower, delicately scented with the fresh Figue d’Ete fragrance, reminiscent of crisp leaves and the juiciness of a perfectly ripened summer fig.

    HUILE SECHE EPATANTE DRY OIL MIST

    The do-it-all, must-have, award-winning dry oil of the season.  Misted, not poured, for perfect dosage control.  This feather-light formula blends lush oils and extracts (macadamia nut, sesame seed, sunflower seed, argan, sweet almond, squalane, and honey) for supple skin that begs to be touched.  Loaded with anti-oxidants, linoleic acid, and vitamans A and E.

    Apply this sheer mist of dry oil all over skin for a fast-absorbing, satin finish to hydrate your skin. With smells of orange blossom (fleurs d’oranger from Provence), and the glow of sun-kissed skin, this dry oil is quickly absorbed. Skin is soft, silky, and never greasy.

    Splendid, stunning, chic – there’s not one definitive translation for épatante, but certainly the compliments you’ll get after using would suffice.

    Perfect for glowing moisture and hydration from head to toe, best to apply to freshly showered skin.  The dreamy orange blossom scent is also a great substitute for fragrance on-the-go.  Tip: run your hands through the ends of your hair to tame flyaways and split ends with any residual oil.

    • A perfect gift for her and him

    June is upon us, which can only mean one thing: it’s wedding season! As more and more couples opt out of using a registry, it has become the guest’s responsibility to find the best and most unique gift for the happy couple. Whether you’ve got one special event or are booked every weekend with a different ceremony, Bastide’s got the perfect present for every type of couple. Bastide promises these gifts will win you the best guest award!

    LES BOHEMIENNES – FRESH PROVENCE BASKET

    The chicest gift of the season to pamper you and your home: a holiday basket from Provence. Inside, find Bastide’s gentlest, oil-based hand wash – natural, soft, and luxurious – with its matching nourishing lotion and triple-milled gentle soap, available in delicious honey lavender (Miel de Lavande), crisp fig (Figue d’Ete), and sensual sweet amber (Ambre Soir). Each set comes with the Ambre d’Or potpourri crystals to warm and style every room.  The gifts come in the chicest French market basket to be reused all year long.

    No matter for yourself or for your family and friends, you always want to send your love to someone you really care about. Sometimes, you can tell them to slow down to live in a more beautiful and relaxing life with some products truly match with your lovely minds, like Bastide, it has a story behind to let you know how to experience a better lifestyle. Let us get started from this summer to live beautifully.

  • New York

    Martha Stewart presents Frédéric Fekkai with French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)’s Art de Vivre Award

    On Monday night, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) honored Frédéric Fekkai, renowned stylist and founder of Fekkai and more recently founder and CEO of the natural beauty line Bastide with the fifth annual Art de Vivre AwardMartha Stewart, a close friend and long-time client of the honoree, presented Fekkai with aLalique Mossi vase during a cocktail reception at FIAF’s Le Skyroom. An elegant dinner for 120 guests followed at the French restaurant Le Bilboquet.

    Bringing with her a 1991 issue of Martha Stewart Living, featuring her new Fekkai haircut on the cover, Stewart recalled her several decades-long relationship with the honoree: “Frederic knows how to transform, and that was his talent. He took an ordinary woman, and he knew how to make her into something very special, and he still does. That’s his charm, that’s his talent, and his entrepreneurial spirit behind that is what really appealed to me and the legions of women who have let him cut his hair.”

    FIAF President Marie-Monique Steckel remarked, “Frédéric has been the hair guru in New York for decades, he also has his acclaimed Frédéric Fekkai beauty salon, and he has really shaped the beauty landscape all over America. Recently he has embarked on a new adventure, Bastide, his latest luxurious natural beauty and lifestyle brand. And tonight we are really honored to have Martha Stewart, guru of American lifestyle, to present the Art de Vivre award to Frédéric.”

    The Art de Vivre Award reception and dinner raises funds to support FIAF’s mission to teach French, promote Francophone culture, and strengthen the relationship between the French and American peoples.

    The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) would like to thank Lalique and James Mun, President & CEO of Lalique North America, for their very kind and generous donation of one Mossi vase to be presented to the evening’s honoree as his award. The kaleidoscopic effect of the Mossi Vase is both a stroke of creative genius and a feat of technical mastery. René Lalique designed this iconic piece in 1933. His original choice of material was plain glass, which the company has transformed into the vibrant intensity of crystal. A genuine interior design accessory of modernity, the Mossi plays on the contrast between the brilliance of its cabochons and the frosting of its base.

    About Frédéric Fekkai

    For more than three decades, Frédéric Fekkai has shaped the global beauty landscape. In 1989, Frédéric opened the luxury salon and day spa atop Bergdorf Goodman, which drew in celebrity clientele and led to the opening of seven salons. In 1994, Frédéric transformed hair care through the launch of his award-winning collection, Fekkai.

    After 20 years at the helm of Fekkai, Frédéric has launched Bastide, a house of beauty and well-being, inspired by his hometown, Aix-en-Provence. In partnership with his wife and co-founder, Shirin von Wulffen, Frédéric celebrates Provence’s artisans and ingredients with locally made, non-toxic beauty products. Bastide opened its flagship boutique in Aix-en-Provence in June 2017 and now is available in wholesale and ecommerce throughout France, US, Canada, and Australia. In 2010, Frédéric was accorded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, the French National Order of Merit awarded by the president of France to recognize distinguished achievements.

     

    About Martha Stewart

    Martha Stewart is an Emmy Award-winning television show host, entrepreneur, bestselling author of 90 books, and America’s most trusted lifestyle expert and teacher. Millions of people rely on Martha Stewart as a source of useful “how-to” information for all aspects of everyday living including cooking, entertaining, gardening, home renovating, collecting, organizing, crafting, healthy living, holidays, weddings, and pet care.

    Martha’s business sense and creative vision provided the framework for her namesake company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., which launched in 1996. The expansive multimedia portfolio includes award-winning properties such as Martha Stewart LivingMartha Stewart Weddingsmarthastewart.com, and PBS shows Martha Stewart’s Cooking School and Martha Bakes. In 2016, Martha teamed up with longtime friend and collaborator Snoop Dogg for Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party on VH1.

    Today, the Martha brand is comprised of Martha Stewart Collection created for Macy’s; Martha Stewart at Michaels; Martha Stewart at Staples; Martha Stewart Living at The Home Depot; a collaborative line of products with QVC in the skin care, fashion, food, and garden categories; Martha Stewart Wine Co.—a carefully curated online wine shop available only at MarthaStewartWine.com; Martha & Marley Spoon meal-kit delivery service, and more.

    The Martha Stewart brand reaches over 100 million consumers each month across all media and merchandising platforms. Her products can be found in over 70 million households and have a growing presence online and in thousands of retail locations. Ms. Stewart currently serves as Chief Creative Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Sequential Brands Group.

    About FIAF’s Art de Vivre Award

    FIAF’s Art de Vivre Award, established in 2014, recognizes influential leaders from the food, wine, beauty, and fashion industries for their outstanding contributions to the promotion of the French art of living. Previous honorees include Elizabeth Holder Raberin and Pierre-Antoine Raberin of Ladurée USA; Frédéric Malle, Founder & CEO of Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle; Martine and Prosper Assouline, co-founders of Assouline Publishing; and Carine Roitfield, Global Fashion Director of Harper’s BAZAAR. This spring, the award honors Frédéric Fekkai as ambassador of the French art de vivre and beauty and well-being throughout the world.

    About FIAF

    Founded in 1898, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) is the leading French language and cultural center in the United States. Our not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization creates innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French culture.

    FIAF presents sophisticated programming in both French and English throughout the year, offering films, talks, art exhibitions and live performances of music, theater, dance, and more. Our Language Center, which welcomes 7,000 students each year, is the largest in the country and offers classes for toddlers to adults.

    The Art de Vivre Award raises funds to support FIAF’s mission to teach French, promote Francophone culture, and strengthen the relationship between the French and American peoples.

    Photos credited to Aurora Rose for Patrick McMullan and Courtesy of French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF).