Cool Hunting

by Rachel Felder

Just when it seemed that NYC's Bleecker Street couldn't squeeze in another stylish boutique, it has. Diptyque, the French brand best known for blissfully scented candles, recently opened its first Big Apple store, just down the block from Marc Jacobs' ever-expanding cluster of stores and Bleecker's other landmark, Magnolia Bakery.

Originally intended as a pop-up store, Diptyque will now be a permanent fixture on Bleecker, though its decor will rotate on a regular basis. The initial focal point is a painting by 19th Century artist Francesco Beda. Blown-up on a massive sheet of vinyl, it has a slightly distorted, wide screen feel. The picture's classicism and muted color palette contrasts with the rest of the store, designed by Benjamin Noriega Ortiz. Transparent lucite chairs, dark shelving and a chandelier bedecked with a layer of white feathers and black astroturf fill the space. The modern-meets-traditional feel seems perfect for the neighborhood, where trend-driven shops are wedged into the ground floors of tiny, prewar buildings.

The boutique features the entire Diptyque line, including its ubiquitous candles—from mainstays like Opoponax and Baies to newer launches like Foin Coupe, aka mown hay—as well as eaux de toilettes, shower gels, and body creams. The common denominator of all these products are their intoxicating scents, which are somehow assertive but never overpowering, making even patchouli smell subtle and delicate.

Diptyque NYC
377 Bleeker St
New York, NY 10014 map
tel. + 1 212 242 2333