French Quarter Shopping: The Royal Way
Top to bottom: M.S. Rau’s Chevy Chase sideboard. Sideboard Detail. Antique Pistols from Cohen & Sons. A Shopper Browsing a Display of Antique Armaments
In the mid-1800s furniture maker Gerrard Robinson of Newcastle, England, was oddly inspired to dedicate six years of his life toiling to visually render the tragedy of the 15th century Ballad of Chevy Chase in dense oak. The result defined the carver’s life. The six paneled Chevy Chase Sideboard measures an astounding 12 feet wide by 10 feet high by 4 feet deep. This piece of “furniture” captures the horrors of war in a tangible way no other medium could. So intricate are the details that tears and perspiration are visible upon the faces of the warriors and the leaves upon the trees and the manes of the war-horses seem to sway in an unseen breeze.
The sideboard has long been one of Britain’s national treasures. It has been extensively documented in antique and scholarly circles and is considered by many to be among the finest, if not the finest, piece of furniture ever made. For 80 years the city of Shaftsbury listed it as one of the two top attractions for visitors.
This icon of the Victorian era is currently available for sale at M. S. Rau Antiques on Royal Street in New Orleans. It will set you back $750,000, but, as a practical dining room sideboard it will set off your holiday buffet casseroles to stunning effect. Just imagine the “oooos” and “ahhhs” you’ll get from old Aunt Gertie when she shuffles over to scoop up her serving of oyster dressing…..
The Chevy Chase Sideboard is but an example of the uniqueness and quality of goods that have been available for purchase on Royal Street over the years. The possessions of kings, Popes, Shahs, shamans, exorcists, presidents, cultural icons and the damned have been amongst vast array of art, artifacts and antiquities to have crossed the thresholds of the elegant showrooms lining this French Quarter route.
From its inception New Orleans’ success as a port galvanized furniture merchants to establish small shops along Royal Street, once the city’s center of commerce and banking. As vessels from around the world pulled up to the Mississippi River docks, purveyors were right there to unload the European goodies spilling out of the shipping containers and haul them the short distance back to the showroom floor. During the 19th century, in addition to shops offering imported goods, the street also supported several fine furniture craftsmen including the famed Prudent Mallard, whose imposing creations grace many a local home today.
New Orleans’ modern standing as the second largest port of entry for antiques into the United States ensures the perpetuation of Royal Street’s heritage as a hot spot for the finer things, a heritage that has been lovingly cultivated by dedicated proprietors since those first furniture vendors came on the scene in the 1880s. Many of the French Quarter’s art and antique houses have remained within the same families for generations and, while it’s unlikely you will witness modern proprietors hoofing it down the street dragging armoires behind them with pulleys, many of them are overseeing businesses established by their ancestors well over a century ago.
Barry Cohen now operates James H. Cohen & Sons, which was established at its current location in 1898 by his great-great grand father, William Feldman. Cohen sells mostly antique weapons, Civil War items, rare foreign and American coins and estate and modern jewelry.
Cohen recently sold a rare Henry rifle for a tidy $20,000. The rare Civil War-era weapon was the first type of Winchester rifle ever made. “I have another gun that was made in New Orleans between 1858-1863 – during the Civil War,” Cohen said. “It was made by a Confederate gun maker and was most likely used by a Confederate soldier. This would make it very, very rare. Most of their weapons were destroyed.”
Those judicious Yankees were taking no chances.
Besides the Roman coins bearing the likeness of Caesar, French dueling pistols and whatnot, other relics of New Orleans’ history line Cohen’s cases. For the right price Cohen will surrender a Civil War sword that was made by a local metal smith (and most likely used to slay a few Yankees); silver and gold coins that were struck right over on Esplanade Avenue at the long-defunct Mint; and a Dix note – the lavishly adorned paper currency that is believed to have inspired New Orleans’ moniker – “Dixie.”
In addition to oddities and relics, New Orleanians’ historically opulent tastes have long supported a thriving market for the carved, curvilinear furnishings of the 18th and 19th centuries. Imposing rosewood, walnut and mahogany beds and armoires of the Victorian era, which were designed to complement the markedly high ceilings in New Orleans homes, remain a popular choice among collectors. However, increased demand by current generations have resulted in purveyors’ extending their offerings to include handsome selections of Art Deco pieces from the 1920s and 30s as well as streamlined Retro choices from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Many of the Royal Street merchants are members of the Royal Street Guild, an organization dedicated to the assurance of quality, integrity and authenticity in goods and services obtained on Royal Street. All collectible purchases are protected and guaranteed.
You’ll breathe a bit easier when you write the check for that sideboard…….
Jyl Benson is a New Orleans-based writer and publicist and frequent contributor to Time, New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue and the Times Picayune. She also regularly contributes to travel and guide books on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
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Jewels By Definition
Retro-Vintage-Estate-Antique. By any name it’s dazzle to die for…
While the practice of wooing women with jewels may offend some gals, they probably aren’t from New Orleans. Throughout the ages Southern women have typically responded with great zeal to gemstone-laden offerings. This is a land where “Nothing exceeds like excess” has real meaning and many a starry-eyed debutante or social climber can not rest until she has secured a rock the size of an automotive headlight. Brazen mistresses and dilettantes collect their share of baubles and trinkets, too, enabling them to garb themselves up as peacocks with jewelry. Think “Elizabeth Taylor.” Repeat these behaviors for a couple of centuries and you have unearthed the primary source of New Orleans’ glut of fantastic second-hand family jewelry which takes the forms of antique, vintage and estate jewelry, most of the dealers of which are located in the French Quarter.
To clarify: There are no absolutes here but, with regard to jewelry, the term “antique” encompasses everything made prior to the 1920s, such as Georgian old mine-cut diamond jewelry, Edwardian filigreed platinum jewelry, Victorian gold jewelry and feminine, curvaceous Art Nouveau cuffs, rings, chokers and the like.
“Vintage” and “Retro” are more or less the same thing. The terms denote the period from the 1920’s to the 1950’s and include the Art Deco style, the lines of which were influenced by the introduction of cubism into the art world. Deco jewelry tended to be aesthetically geometrical and distinctive Asscher-cut diamonds and gemstones were popular. The angular lines of the Art Deco period later gave way to chunky rose gold rings, often set with European-cut diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
Whisnant Galleries on Chartres Street has been selling “estate” jewelry 36 years.
“Estate Jewelry is jewelry that has been previously owned,” explained Tom Whisnant, a third generation principal with the gallery. The term is, again more or less, used to describe all fine jewelry hailing from the 1950’s to the present day. This genre includes modern brilliant-cut, emerald-cut and princess-cut gemstones and diamonds. It doesn’t have to be old to be “estate” – but it can be – but not too old. Loosely used “estate” could also encompass “antique,” “vintage,” and “retro.” It’s maddening. The wise buyer will request that the seller clearly differentiate amongst the terms.
“Just about anyone could sell ‘estate’ jewelry, though, without previous experience and knowledge of gems it could be a risk for the buyer,” Whisnant said. “Most reputable purveyors will have a certified gemologist on staff in order to properly ascertain quality and period of origin.”
Whisnant said much of his gallery’s jewelry is acquired from individual estates throughout the Gulf South region. Such is the case with a stunning retro (1940s) bracelet that caught the eye of an internationally recognized actress and continues to lure her back. “It’ is truly an unusual but wonderful piece,” Whisnant said. “It was crafted in the style of a large ring. The center stone is a 210.0-carat smoky topaz flanked by two 45.0-carat smoky topaz stones set in 18 karat gold.
“We recently found a similar piece in a book detailing Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection.”
To think.
Jyl Benson is a New Orleans-based writer and publicist and frequent contributor to Time, New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue and the Times Picayune. She also regularly contributes to travel and guide books on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
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Recorded Bliss
One of the Quarter’s specialty music stores, the Louisiana Music Factory
The lack of formality that pervades New Orleans’ live music scene also distinguishes the city’s most rewarding retail music shops, most of which are located within blocks of one another in the French Quarter, and all of which are small spaces crammed with specialty offerings that make deep inroads into one musical genre or another. These little independent proprietorships exist in the shadows of Big Retailers and owe their continuation to devoted music fans and collectors who favor the kind of chatty, knowledgeable, enthusiastic customer service only those rumpled, fervent music buffs staffing these places can provide.
There’s little doubt: The characters working these shops aren’t in it for the money. They are passion-driven on a mission to locate whatever piece of music minutiae you may seek.
Lost in the Local Vibe at LMF
Nowhere is this more evident than the Louisiana Music Factory (210 Decatur Street 586 1094). Just step inside to find local musicians and fans hanging out at the counter, gabbing about club gigs and gossiping with members of the staff, all of whom are fixtures on the local music scene (read ‘club rats’). The place has a timeless quality and the general vibe is sort of bump-y and jive-y, like you might close your eyes only to open them and suddenly find the place has simply morphed into a juke joint. It’s New Orleans boiled down into a microcosm and embodied in The Record Shop.
The claustrophobic space is literally packed with stock encompassing the entire history of recorded music from New Orleans and related to New Orleans – extensive jazz and blues selections and bins of Cajun, zydeco, R&B and gospel abound. The second floor attic is a regular stop for collectors of vinyl who come to peruse the vast, diverse and often rare assortments of quality second-hand albums, which tend heavily toward obsolete jazz.
You can test anything before you buy and the staff is eager to pop the wrapper and plug you into a listening station for either CDs or vinyl. The result is lots of happy-looking people standing around wearing headsets with their eyes closed and their feet shuffling beneath them.
Promoting Local Musicians
This pleasant vibe erupts past the front door every Saturday when musicians play free concerts, which often serve as record release parties, and Abita beer kicks in with free brew. Performers range from local folk, jazz and blues acts to seemingly impromptu new combos and well-known national recording artists.
The Louisiana Music Factory is a tremendous resource for many local artists who produce and sell their own CDs, which are only available for sale directly through them at their respective gigs or at LMF. On Saturday afternoons CDs from the performing musicians are offered for a sale price.
Beckham’s for Classical
Down the block at Beckham’s Book Shop (228 Decatur St. 522-9875), the vibe is tranquil by comparison though no less satisfying to the aficionados of rare classical music who bolster their collections with visits to the first and third floors. There, Carey Beckham warehouses a wide array of second-hand classical records, CDs, albums and classical and semi-historic sheet music.
Rock & Roll Collectibles’ Monster Inventory
Since 1986, old school rock and roll has ruled the lower end of Decatur Street at Rock & Roll Collectibles (1214 Decatur St. 561-5683), where the vinyl inventory is estimated at 250,000 LPs and about 500,000 smaller 45s. Owners Richard Turnbull and Michael Aaron, both of whom began collecting in the early 1980s, amassed the monster inventory. “Obviously, we are particularly strong in vintage rock and roll,” Aaron said. “But we really have more than a bit of just about everything.”
Among their more unusual offerings are 500 still-sealed Hanna Barbera cartoon story albums. This is the place to find the ever desirable “Huckleberry Hound Tells Stories of Uncle Remus” you’ve been searching for so desperately.
Ride the Magic Bus
Off at the other end of the spectrum is Magic Bus (631 Toulouse St.522-0530). Three cool English guys started the business in 1994 in an old – you guessed it – school bus that was parked in the back of the French Market parking lot. Today the determined beatniks have over 50,000 used records and CD’s that cover a wide selection of musical styles that span the last 85 years with a particular emphasis on rock and pop. Due largely in part, no doubt, to their very Englishness, the selection here tends heavily toward rare recordings from obscure Brit performers. The physical space is long, narrow, rather dimly lit and, of course, crammed with stuff. It’s rather like the interior of a bus or, as one might imagine, a yellow submarine.
Jyl Benson is a New Orleans-based writer and publicist and frequent contributor to Time, New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue and the Times Picayune. She also regularly contributes to travel and guide books on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
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Divining the Future, Channeling the Past
Since 1929, the Bottom of the Cup has been offering coffee, tea and psychic guidance
Many local facets associated with alternative belief systems can be traced to the days of slavery when a myriad of faiths amalgamated into what is commonly regarded as voodoo, which came to Louisiana from Santo Domingo during the slave uprising of 1790. It is a combination of religion, myth, practice and superstition. The superstitious of all races sought the charms (gris-gris) to solve problems of all types, from romance to finance.
Shops and businesses catering to those with beliefs stemming from the supernatural are scattered throughout the French Quarter. The least formal of them are established, seemingly willy-nilly, on the sidewalk and involve little more than two chairs and a small table over which proprietor and patron will converse. Others are operated out of residential back rooms or front parlors and purveyors simply hang out a shingle and you seek them out.
Tarot and Palmistry Popular “Sports”
Whether laced with elements of voodoo or not, general fortune telling is a popular “sport” here and the most commonly available forms of the practice are palmistry and tarot readings. The ancient art of tarot is largely reliant on psychic “ability” and seeks to divine the “truth” from symbolic images. The equally ancient art of palmistry is based on analysis rather than intuition. Through its practice the lines in the hands are interpreted as an electrical diagram of the two hemispheres of the brain, based on the principle that the shapes and lines of the hands are the living picture of the forces that make each individual unique.
There is no standard for ability within either medium and anyone who buys a city license can offer readings, as is evidenced by the small army of practitioners who operate from tables and small booths around the perimeter of Jackson Square. You won’t be able to tell beforehand whether your chosen reader turns out to be genuinely gifted or an absolute charlatan. Readings can be frightfully accurate or completely nonsensical. Expect to pay $20 to $50 for a reading that can last from ten minutes up to half an hour and agree on a price before you start.
If you believe there’s safety in numbers and age brings a patina of authenticity then Bottom of the Cup Tea Room (327 Charters Street 524-1997), is the place for you. Alys Mullen followed in the steps of both her mother and grandmother when she entered the family-run businesses, which has been in operation since 1929. Mullen is now training a fourth generation of family fortunetellers to eventually take over and business is booming. Mullen said Bottom of the Cup has a steady clientele of over 10,000 people who call or visit regularly for consultations through tarot cards, crystals, palmistry, tea leaves, crystal ball readings, astrological readings and general psychic readings, all of which are recorded so you can listen again and again. With all of this activity it is best to book appointments in advance.
“We also have an inventory of over 100 absolutely delicious teas and coffees,” Mullen said. “If you don’t want your fortune told then just stop in for a cup.”
Wiccans Will Conjure Up a Séance on Dumaine
If a cup of tea and a bit of fortune telling are too lighthearted for your purposes perhaps a séance will better fit the bill? Not the easiest thing in the world to come by but you’re in luck while in the French Quarter. The coven of self-described professional witches and apprentices of Wicca who operate Esoterica Occult Goods (541 Dumaine Street, 504-581-7711) not only offer tarot readings, spiritual consultations and everything you will need to create an altar at which to practice your alternative faith, they will also host a séance for you, by appointment, in the private occult library at the shop.
Jyl Benson is a New Orleans-based writer and publicist and frequent contributor to Time, New Orleans, St. Charles Avenue and the Times Picayune. She also regularly contributes to travel and guide books on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
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French Quarter One-of-a-Kind Series: Un-Common Scents
Top to bottom: Hové Parfumeurs Owner Amy van Calsem Wendel, Perfumed strips each featuring hand-blended Hové scents, Hové room scents and scented candles.
When visiting Hové Parfumeurs in the heart of the French Quarter there are two things you can be sure of – the word “change” is spoken in hushed tones, and what’s old is always new again.
“This is a truly original New Orleans family business,” says Amy van Calsem Wendel, fourth generation owner of Hové. “We are not big on change around here. Of course we have grown with the times, such as installing computers and streamlining mail orders, but we like the way things have worked for the past seventy years.” At Hové, paperwork takes on new meaning. Van Calsem Wendel and her family have transferred decades of index cards with customers’ preferences and orders into their computer system. “We keep everything. We remember people and traditions,” she says, “And we think that is what keeps people coming back to us.”
History is important not only in the traditions the shop carries on but also in the fragrances Hové creates, and in the family business itself. “Hové has always been a part of my family, and now we are so proud to continue with that tradition,” says van Calsem Wendel. Located in the home of a family member since its opening, Hové Parfumeurs gives new meaning to bringing your work home with you. “We live above the shop, its third location, and now our children have the opportunity to grow up in the Hové tradition. We create all of our fragrances right here, and they can see it all happening first hand. It’s a wonderful experience.”
Classic scents with a personal touch keep customers coming back for more. Opened in 1931 by Mrs. Alvin Hovey-King, Hové Parfumeur focuses on providing the finest fragrances for men and women. Now offering more than 53 fragrances, van Calsem Wendel learned the trade secrets from watching and studying family traditions. “Learning this business is an ongoing process, because we are always creating new fragrances, improving old fragrances, and providing custom blends for customers,” she says. “It’s also very important to get those favorite old fragrances just right, the ones our customers remember from childhood.”
It’s those old favorites that continue to enchant New Orleanians and visitors alike. These traditional Creole concoctions, with names like tea olive, or sweet olive, spanish moss, and vetivert, have been used throughout New Orleans for generations. According to van Calsem Wendel the histories of each blend are unique. “Tea olive, for example, was used for its aromatic properties and was often steeped like black tea. Vetivert root, on the other hand, had a stronger quality that was used throughout the home, in armoirs and dresses, pillowcases and bedlinens, as well as a scent to be carried throughout town as a fan.” To many the unique woodsy and naturally sweet smells of vetivert and tea olive are as much a part of their own history and it is of the city of New Orleans. “These fragrances are a piece of history. Generations grew up with them in their home. It’s a unique gift from the past that we are fortunate to be able to pass on to the next generation.”
Stepping through the 18th century doors of Hové Parfumeur is at once a lesson in aromatherapy, New Orleans history, and French Quarter customs. “We often get asked, what’s unique about living and working in the French Quarter? There’s never one answer to that question,” says van Calsem Wendel. “It’s a truly unique experience, from the history to the beautiful courtyards, and of course, the food. We like to see ourselves as an integral part of that experience, right up there with Dixie Beer and the Central Grocery.” Around here, some things never change. And maybe, in Hové Parfumeur’s case, that’s a good thing.
Hové® Parfumeur, 824 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 504-525-7827
Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat. 10AM- 5PM
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
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French Quarter One-of-a-Kind Series: Hats Off to Style at Fleur de Paris on Royal Street
Top to Bottom: Fleur de Paris Shop Window Display & Details (images 1-3); A fun floral & faux Leopard chapeau; Joe Parrino, Jr. will help you pick a show-stopping accessory
It has often been said that it is the accessories that make the outfit. Never has that been more stylishly true than at Fleur de Paris. Located just around the corner from St. Louis Cathedral in the heart of the French Quarter, Fleur de Paris offers visitors style from head to toe… literally. According to the shop’s head milliner Nicole LeBlanc, “The whole idea, no the whole truth, of New Orleans and the South as being romantic, elegantly retro, decadent, and feminine is perfectly illustrated by Fleur de Paris.”
Family owned and operated from its opening in 1980, the shop features one of the finest collections of custom and vintage millinery and accessories for fashionable ladies. “I would describe our shop as a hat lover’s paradise,” says Nicole LeBlanc. And with 23 years of experience, and after designing more than 12,000 hats, she should know. “This is the place you come to for the most fabulous chapeau you have ever had; for a hat that will draw attention to you; a hat to make you look beautiful and unforgettable.” Offering only fashions and accessories that are one-of-a-kind or made in small quantities, customers invest in pieces that are as unique as their own personalities.
Fleur de Paris is more than a memorable shopping experience. It offers classic, unique style. It offers art and style. It offers memories and souvenirs that cannot be duplicated. “The experience at Fleur de Paris is unlike any other shopping experience,” says Joseph Parrino, Jr., who has worked in his father’s store learning the ropes from the ground up. “When customers enter the shop, they hear French music. There is a feast for the eyes everywhere you look. The ladies and gentlemen who work in the shop are trained in fashion design and give a personalized approach to the shopping experience. We even offer after hours, champagne shopping for customers that have extra special requirements.”
An old-world, personalized approach to fashion and hat making is the perfect match to the old-world beauty and style of the French Quarter. “This shop would not be the same if it were located somewhere else,” says Parrino. “This is a unique, historical part of the United States. When people come, they slip into the past. They feel like they are walking the streets of Europe.” Nicole LeBlanc echoes the sentiment, “The French Quarter is a great walking area, and you always discover the best places when you just follow your feet,” she says. “The best stumbled-upon shops carry unusual items that make your heart sing and satisfy your aesthetic longings, so a shop like ours is a perfect fit for the French Quarter.”
Described by Fleur de Paris insiders as: “a girly-girl’s wonderland;” “a paradise for hat lovers;” “opium for textile fanatics;” and “unimaginably lush,” this unique, whimsical shop offers visitors to New Orleans an experience like no other. You could say it is as if the “City of Lights” has met “the Crescent City.” As LeBlanc says, “what better souvenir than a custom-made hat that one can wear forever, bringing back fond memories of a trip to New Orleans.”
Three Little Known Facts about Fleur de Paris from Nicole Le Blanc:
- We have three hats at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
- A crucial scene in the movie “Crazy in Alabama” was filmed in the shop.
- “Our millinery supplies represent the largest and most beautiful collection I have ever seen. At least half is vintage. There are a few certain things I have declined to ever use (so far) on a hat because they are so special and irreplaceable. I just look at them, swoon, and put them back, because I might have a better idea for a hat next year.”
Fleur de Paris, 712 Royal Street, 504-525-1899 (504-525-1901, fax).
Hours of operation, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. Sunday Summer Hours 12:00 to 6pm.
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
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French Quarter One-of-a-Kind Series: An Enlightening Experience at Bevolo Gas and Electric
A wide range of unique hand-crafted gas & electric lanterns from Bevolo
Drew Bevolo, third generation owner of Bevolo Gas and Electric, is unlike most business owners. Sure, he can give you the facts and figures of last month’s sales, what designs the company is currently working on, and how many countries he has shipped to. But he can also hand-make a historical and beautiful piece of lighting artwork out of simple sheets of copper, thanks to the lessons he learned from the ground up and the advice from his uncle.
Bevolo Gas and Electric began in the French Quarter in 1945 when Andrew Bevolo, Sr. revolutionized the production of gas lamps. A master craftsman who worked to help build the famous New Orleans Higgins boats for the war effort and the first Sikorsky helicopter, Bevolo, Sr. combined technical know-how with artistic style by using rivets instead of brittle soldering for his lamps’ joints and by employing the talents of local artists and craftspeople. Soon, Bevolo, Sr., along with renowned architect A. Hays Town, had created what would become known as the French Quarter lamp. Try taking a step through the old French Quarter without catching a glimpse of this now iconic copper lamp, and you’ll soon find that it simply can’t be done.
Fast-forward sixty years later and you’ll see that this innovative company is still going strong, and still producing each and every piece by hand. Perhaps this might have something to do with third generation owner Drew Bevolo’s passion for the art form and his unique business education at the hands of his uncle. “I came down to New Orleans after having a successful stock broker career in Baton Rouge to help my uncle, the company’s second generation owner, with the family business,” says Bevolo. “The company was in a natural state of transition, as most of the old world artisans were becoming harder and harder to find in an increasingly high-tech world.”
In order to reinvigorate the business, Bevolo soon found that hard work, and a unique hands-on education, was in order. “My uncle brought me on at $100 a week,” Bevolo recalls. “He insisted that I start at the bottom. I did everything from welding to delivery. He was hard on me, and it was the greatest gift he could have given me.” It did not take long for the hard work to pay off, as the company was rejuvenated and Drew Bevolo slowly took over the reigns. “We now have 60 employees, and, because my uncle gave me the gift of coppersmithing, I know I can talk to my employees about anything, any step of the process.”
What started out as a job in the family business soon grew into a passion that Bevolo fully embraces today. “Now I can’t help but look at every light I see. I continue to study,” he says. “As the company grew, and as I grew with it, I knew that our success would depend on continuing that high quality that people expected from Bevolo Gas and Electric. People recognize it. They know we have the best product.” Proof of that fact isn’t hard to find. Bevolo lanterns grace not only New Orleans’ historic landmarks such as the Cabildo, Jackson Square, and Brennan’s Restaurant, they have also been sold to customers in all 50 states and 26 foreign countries. This is one family business that has certainly branched out.
Where would one be without the other? A true original creation of the French Quarter, Bevolo Gas and Electric has embraced the romantic and artistic flair that makes this destination like no other. “The French Quarter lamp is a trademark of New Orleans,” says Bevolo. “This is a company that was born and bred here, using local artists and craftspeople.” Perhaps fueled by the flavor of a unique place, the flickering fantasy of the French Quarter lamp casts a romantic glow on an art form that, thanks to the Bevolo family, will never be lost.
Bevolo Gas and Electric
520 Conti Street
504-522-9485
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
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Back to Her Roots: Spiritual Sustenance, Insight and Healing at Erzulie’s
Top to bottom: The ‘Root Queen’ Anna Parmelee; Erzulie’s Authentic Voodoo shop in the French Quarter
Anna Parmelee may have been known for many titles throughout her life – broadcast media professional, advertising executive, licensed airplane pilot – but her favorite title might just be the one she is known best by here in New Orleans: “Root Queen.” It is a title that at once embraces her past, present and future and marks the spirit behind her French Quarter shop, Erzulie’s Authentic Voodoo.
Born in Rhode Island and raised primarily by her grandparents, Anna soon found herself becoming intrigued with all things spiritual from a very close source, her grandmother. A devout Catholic, Anna’s Portugese grandmother raised her within the church, but also exposed her to healing traditions from her Old World upbringing. “Although my grandmother is a very devout Catholic, she is also very mystical and highly skilled in herbology due to her long family lineage of medicinal healing in Madeira, Portugal,” says Anna. “This was my initial basis for connecting to ancient paths and spiritual traditions.”
But before Anna’s professional life took a decidedly spiritual turn, she started out on a path that was very different. From working in broadcast media and creating a highly productive advertising agency in Orlando, Florida, Anna was able to grow into an extraordinarily successful business woman, with a passion for travel and spiritual learning. “Ancient philosophy, wisdom, techniques, belief systems and cultures have always fascinated me,” says Anna. While traveling for work, she began to explore spiritual traditions worldwide, from North and South America, to the Caribbean, Santo Domingo, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Europe.
Ancient African divination techniques, New Orleans Voodoo Tarot
The seeds of the Root Queen’s new career path were beginning to take shape. “I was asked by several friends to help with certain situations with specialty oils, herbs, formulary, ritual work, and, most importantly, listening to their problems and offering some thoughts or philosophies if possible.” Anna’s talent in guiding her friends slowly grew into a desire to help others, and from that passion Erzulie’s was born, along with a move to an all-new, exciting city. “As with all paths, when you are on the correct one, everything aligns seamlessly,” she says. “I purchased a lovely home in the French Quarter and leased a store all in one month.”
Erzulie’s is in fact a truly magical store, reflecting the brilliant personality of Anna and her staff. A bright and colorful space, it is filled to the brim with handmade soaps, oils, candles and more. “We carry only the finest handcrafted items,” says Anna. “In fact, we make every item in the store ourselves with pure, organic materials and precious oils.” Anna’s oils and soaps are more than just wash-and-go spirituality. “We developed our products for people who live busy lives and may not have the time to always take a break. Our products simply allow people the chance to slow down, relax, and focus on and eliminate the negatives in their lives.” The people that visit Erzulie’s come from all over and not all are specifically looking to make a change. “We encourage customers to just come in and look around. Have fun. We encourage people to touch things and explore. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to get people thinking,” says Anna. But for some the experience can also be enlightening, and that is the true reward for Anna. “I love what I do. I love seeing people refreshed and growing.”
For Anna, New Orleans was the best place to reach people of all kinds – locals, visitors, explorers and travelers alike. “The French Quarter seemed like the best place for a shop like this, as it is one of those places that embraces all kinds to the community. People who come to New Orleans are looking for something a little different, and they can come in here and experience something they might not get a chance to see every day,” she says. For her, living and working in New Orleans is as ever changing as her career. “This is an amazing city. You are never bored and there’s always someone there to support you. This city appreciates the unique.”
This Root Queen, a title Anna selected in part as tribute to her “root worker” ancestors, may have put her own roots down here, but those are some pretty far-reaching roots. Stretching out from her grandparents in the Northeast, her family history in Europe, her travels near and far, and the spiritual traditions and people she has met along the way, Anna’s roots have made her yearn to share her experiences and passion with others. Erzulie’s is the place where those roots come together for a unique experience, a little practical advice, and lots of open minds.
Erzulie’s Authentic Voodoo French Quarter Shop
809 Royal St.
504-525-2055
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
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Fashion Forward in the French Quarter
Whether you’re already a diva or a diva in training, a chic chick or a trendsetter, a deal spotter or a vintage collector, New Orleans has the girl gear for you. From rock star to pretty princess, glamour girl to tomboy, in a town that truly embraces the individual, these one-of-a-kind style shops literally have something for everyone, as well as for every budget. Check out the buzz on these definite “do’s” for anyone looking to explore her inner fashionista in the French Quarter.
Fifi Mahoney’s
For super-star glam, Fifi Mahoney’s is the place to go. One of New Orleans’ true originals, Fifi Mahoney’s has a unique collection of make-up, accessories, and, best of all, wigs. With a simple flip of a wig, you can instantly become “Antoinette,” “Gwen,” Marilyn,” and more. This shop’s motto might be: there’s always a time and a place for a great wig.
What’s hot: Splurge on a fabulous custom wig, $100-$200, or get a steal from one of Fifi Mahoney’s private line of colorful lip glosses and lipsticks, $10-$12
Fifi Mahoney’s
934 Royal Street
525-4343
www.fifi-mahoney.com
Sweet Pea and Tulip
The name says it all; this petite boutique is a sweet delight. Feminine, flirty, funky and fun might best describe this cute little French Quarter gem. Sweet Pea has everything from stylish and chic t-shirts to flowing dresses and glittering accessories, all at affordable prices.
What’s hot: It’s time for summer dresses! And with the entire range all under $70, it’s all a steal here. Prices won’t put a strain on your purse, leaving you money to buy more!
Sweet Pea
618 Chartres Street
523-4119
Hemline
Hemline is at once a girly-girl shop, a couture destination, and a cutting edge fashion paradise. The Chartres Street location features distinct design that starts trends instead of following them. Get in on this original New Orleans boutique destination.
What’s hot: Asian influenced tunics, $59 to $175, and stylish shoes at a steal, starting at $29.95
Hemline
605 Chartres Street
592-0242
Violet’s
Glamorous takes on new meaning with the unique collection at Violet’s. Think old Hollywood. Think vintage vamp. Think Paris…France, that is. This colorful, inspired, playful collection will have you playing designer dress up every day of the week.
What’s hot: As always at Violet’s, you’ll look like a stunner in one of their glamorous dresses, often worn by Hollywood “It” girls, rock royalty, and motion picture elite.
Violet’s
808 Chartres Street
569-0088
Hoi Polloi
Although this shop’s name means “for the masses,” you’ll find nothing common about the goodies inside. Choose from a unique selection of frocks, flair, make-up, and home accessories fit for glamorous Hollywood, hip French Riviera, uptown Manhattan and the fashion forward French Quarter.
What’s hot: Carry-on bags with style – TwoFive’s new line of vintage inspired train case and totes. What you might see Ingrid Bergman jetting off from Casablanca with, $79-$159.
Hoi Polloi
434 Chartres Street
561-7585
Oonkas Boonkas
Funny name. Fabulous, one-of-a-kind clothing. This store is truly an eclectic mix of styles and clothing from destinations around the world. Think South Pacific meets Paris meets the Australian Outback. Each item is hand picked and will make you a fashion original.
What’s hot: A new line of cheeky, fun watches featuring mermaids, martinis, and more. Tons of bling, hand made and totally unique, with a lifetime guarantee!
Oonkas Boonkas
330 Chartres Street
412-8880
Wish
Featuring hip but affordable clothes, jewelry, accessories, pillows, and more, this retro inspired store reminds us of a mix between costume shop, second-hand store, funky attic, and chic boutique. Best of all, everything is under $40. Now there’s a fashionista’s wish come true.
What’s hot: It’s all hot! At these nice prices, you can get your fill of fabulous finds!
Wish
306 Chartres Street
552-4301
Fleur de Paris
A girly girl’s wonderland, this romantic fashion find features unique millinery creations and fine dresses for special occasions by local artists. Decadent, feminine, and classic Fleur de Paris chapeaus provide more than sunshade, they provide attitude, grace, style, and beauty.
What’s hot: The fine creations at Fleur de Paris are timeless souvenirs. Invest in a memory with a unique new creation or vintage hat.
Fleur de Paris
712 Royal Street
525-1899
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
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Akeewakee Waxes Poetic
Candles from Akeewakee
When designer Akee Sukkajongwong first came up with the idea of a clean burning soy candle, he and Corey Walsh, fellow owner of the French Quarter boutique Akeewakee, had no idea they had actually hit upon a luxury product that would take their business to new heights. This grass roots design movement has transformed how many New Orleans customers, as well as customers across the southeast, California, Chicago, and abroad see candles and a lifestyle that embraces only the very best.
Made from 100 percent natural soy wax, Akeewakee candles are a step above and beyond most luxury candles on the market. “Our candles are totally organic and unique,” says Mary Munger, one of the boutique’s knowledgeable sales associates. “Many other soy candles on the market contain varying levels of paraffin. Ours are different in that they are totally made from soy and will burn 50 percent cleaner and longer than regular paraffin candles and soy-paraffin candles.” In addition to cleaner and longer burning, Akeewakee candles have proven themselves to be a cleaner option for the environment. “Regular paraffin candles emit dangerous levels of formaldehyde while burning,” says Munger. “A clean burn can make a big difference to a person with allergies and special needs, as well as for those simply looking for a pure, sensory experience.”
Reflecting a lifestyle
A unique, total sensory experience is at the top of the list of goals for Akeewakee candles. “Our candles are not just candles,” says Corey Walsh. “Our candles are a reflection of a lifestyle.” Designed for people looking to create a lifestyle embracing the best of everything, these candles are hand crafted in a sophisticated three day process. Each one is specially blended for a superior product. Fragrances such as Irish Mosse and Thai Jasmine are intricately layered for a subtle, not soapy or perfumy, aroma. “One of the things I like best about our candles is that they smell so clean,” says Munger. “You’ll never have a perfume headache from these.” The final step is in the presentation. Each candle is wrapped and packaged in Japanese lantern inspired boxes, ready for gift giving. The process from start to finish is detailed and intricate, but the end product shows the extra effort.
From St. Ann Street to Chicago’s State Street, and beyond, Akeewakee has not forgotten about its French Quarter roots. The boutique embraces the eclectic and artistic spirit of New Orleans, and has used local resources to develop a product that is growing by leaps and bounds. “We are a true hometown product,” says Munger. “Our candles were designed in the French Quarter and made exclusively on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.” And it’s perhaps that unique local flavor that has made Akeewakee what it is today, a thriving and innovative small business that inspires beauty, love, art, and the very best. According to Munger, “The Quarter attracts such a diverse group of people and visitors. It’s full of the arts. It embraces the off beat. And that’s exactly the kind of place Akeewakee thrives in.”
“Simply pure. Simply beautiful,” is one way Akeewakee describes itself. It goes to show how the power of a simple, but beautiful idea, made to the highest standards, can transform a small, hometown business into a national success. The luxury candle company recently opened its latest boutique at Marshall Field’s State Street store in Chicago. What’s next? Paris. Perhaps, but to New Orleans and the French Quarter, this chic boutique will always be ours.
Tara McLellan, a freelance writer, book author, and columnist, has been featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, and St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She lives and works in the New Orleans area.
