Beauty can save the world, one lovely linen at a time

By Tara Wegdam

When I first imagined Crème de la Crème 25 years ago, I knew that I wanted to build a space that could feel like walking into a special world, one where our customers would instinctively slow down to gaze, to touch, to smell. 

In short, it would be a place where customers, our guests, could sense a kind of transcendent beauty in the space — a place that could feel distinct from the world outside. 

Outside the doors of Crème de la Crème, the world is marked by speed, efficiency, profit, and turnover. I knew I wanted to create a refuge for those seeking escape from that world.

My fascination with French culture began as a little girl. I have fond memories of spending summers traveling through France, sensing the richness in the culture of the French countryside. It’s an experience unlike any other — lavender fields, church bells, open air markets, cicadas proudly hanging from the front entrances of Provençal stone homes, linen drapes framing beautifully ornate wrought iron windows, tablecloths adorned with quintessentially French prints, pots of fresh herbs eager to season a generations-old recipe of savory stew simmering over a large gas stove, and skirted kitchen cabinets hiding stacks of seasoned cast iron pans. 

French culture shaped me in ways that I perhaps did not quite realize then. Even as a young girl, it revealed to me the value of everyday beauty. I think there is an “ordinary” kind of beauty that often goes unnoticed. It is this kind of beauty that matters most in our homes. This everyday beauty is expressed in how we cook, how we set the table, how we fluff our pillows, how we garden. I consider myself beyond fortunate that my mother cultivated this kind of beauty in our home while I was growing up; it is the kind of beauty that in no small way shaped me, and so I have made it my life’s business to share this kind of beauty with my family, and, for 25 years now, with all Crème de la Crème’s guests.

The Crème de la Crème brand aspires to cultivate “ordinary beauty” both in our stores and in our customers’ homes. I perceive that today the character of beauty has lost its splendor. Beauty, for many, lies in the “eyes of the beholder.” But, I want to push back on this. If everything is beautiful, then nothing is beautiful. Beauty has a capacity, or a force, to expand, to enrich our humanity. The experience of beauty is, fundamentally, a very human experience. 

There is an important social dimension to the mission of Crème de la Crème — we want to lean on beauty to cultivate moments of human connection, of hospitality. 

My aesthetic vision was shaped largely by the cultural, geographic, and domestic landscapes of France. And the roots of my longing for human connection spring from my home state, Tennessee.    

Growing up in Nashville, a sense of community permeated our neighborhoods. Southern hospitality was at the heart of my upbringing, and I’ve come to realize that it has profoundly stuck with me.  Southern hospitality is marked by a collective of simple beauties: the cordial “yes, sir” or “yes, ma’am”; a firm handshake; a long exchange with a complete stranger; the warm embrace of your friend’s mom; porch rockers; peach crisp in the summer; and country music. Growing up in the South, human connection was not a chore, it was a longing. Perhaps more than that, it was our raison d'être. 

When my husband, Ben, and I opened our first store in Holland, “the French Shoppe,” a tiny store filled with provincial fabrics and French pottery, we very quickly became a destination, offering something that the marketplaces were lacking: an eye for simple beauty and genuine human interaction. 

In April 2000, we opened the doors to our first store in Middleburg, Virginia and it was then that our vision came fully to life. This was no easy feat! Our storefront was built through the heartfelt support of our neighbors and friends, and to us, it stands as a true reflection of Southern hospitality at its finest. Today, 25 years later, we are blessed that Crème de la Crème has five iconic locations throughout Virginia and Maryland. 

When they walk into any of our stores today, my hope is that our customers will experience the sublimity of beauty and hospitality. Our guests are greeted warmly by our friendly staff and invited to peruse the store, where our carefully selected French and Italian merchandise is artfully displayed. Our guests may be drawn to the simple beauty of a brooch, perhaps recalling the memory of a grandmother whose scent is still fresh in their heart. A delicate bouquet of dried wild lavender is certain to arrest the senses of the child who tugs behind his mother, marveling at the colors, shapes, and textures. I envision two guests connecting over a hand-carved wooden bowl, sharing the sentiment, “you just can’t find this anywhere else.” 

I am proud of what Crème de la Crème has become — thanks to our incredible team, whose warmth brings the guest experience to life, but most of all, to the artisans whose craftsmanship behind our products makes this entire dream possible. It is a joy to offer everyone who comes through our doors a glimpse of a world where beauty is not lost, but stands firm on the belief that hospitality is a genuine expression of our humanity. I am grateful to our loyal customers because they confirm that there is an immeasurable value to beauty and hospitality in the retail industry.  

“Beauty will save the world,” concludes a sickly prince in one of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s famous novels. The optimism is inspiring — we want to believe that, today, in this fast-paced digital world, beauty still has the capacity to call us, confront us, shape us, and, most of all, change us.  

I conclude my story with a note on beauty because Crème de la Crème was inspired by this belief — beauty can save the world. And stepping into our Crème de la Crème stores is an invitation to perceive the truth in Dostoevsky’s promise.  

Crème de la Crème wants to be, like beauty itself, an experience that builds on our shared humanity. 

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