San Francisco’s new beauty emporium is inspired by Jean Cocteau’s 1950s French Riviera home
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The natural beauty movement has found a stronghold in Ayla Beauty – a non-toxic and eco-consciously geared cosmetic emporium located in the heart of San Francisco. Founded by Dara Kennedy, a seasoned beauty industry executive who now seeks out suitable product offerings for the store, Ayla Beauty is bolstered by its philosophy that natural beauty can be potent, while safely formulated too.
True to form, the brand’s physical space wholeheartedly reflects its philosophy. Filled with natural materials such as wood, concrete, leather and brass, the intimate boutique is conceived by Chloe Warner of the local interior design firm Redmond Aldrich, who made the most of its 500 sq ft interior by creating a homey environment that clients would enjoy spending time in.
‘The space is tiny so it was a challenge to make it feel stocked without feeling like a souk,’ recalls Warner, ‘Dara also hosts seminars and beauty [pop-up] nights [in the space].’
‘My inspiration was to create something that felt feminine and slightly residential, an apothecary without a clinical feel,’ she adds. ‘I layered patterns with lavender walls to make it feel textured and interesting, and added masses of plants to add oxygen and make a small space feel more expansive. We splurged on Apparatus vanity lights and did the custom Jean Cocteau-inspired mural ourselves.’
Utilitarian elements such as walnut shelving units and Alvar Aalto stools, are offset by an array of abstract art, the mural (which is inspired by a wall in Cocteau’s 1950s house on the French Riviera) and the geometric tiled floor – all the better to experience the store’s power-packed product arsenal, which includes labels like 37 Actives, The Nue Co, May Lindstrom, along with other favourites from around the world.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Ayla Beauty website (opens in new tab)
Pei-Ru Keh is the US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru has held various titles at Wallpaper* since she joined in 2007. She currently reports on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru has taken a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars and actively seeks out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
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