Santa Maria Novella
The pharmacy's foundation was laid in the high Middle Ages, when monks from the eponymous monastery began making botanical creations from their garden to treat themselves and Florentine patients. These monks empirically understood the effectiveness of certain flowers and herbs, fruits and berries, bark and roots in defining their pharmacopoeia. These botanical creations were used in various mediums for a range of treatments for the body, inside and out - creams, balms, elixirs, tinctures, digestive aids. The effectiveness of their formulas grew their reputation well beyond the monastery walls.
During the Renaissance, perhaps the most powerful woman in Europe, Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, commissioned S.M. Novella to create a fragrance for her - Acqua della Regina - that had a huge impact on the French court, and exists today as Acqua di Colonia Classica.
S.M. Novella occupies a place outside of time, harkening back to when the line distinguishing health-oriented pharmaceuticals, and products to delight the senses, was fluid and permeable: perfumes, makeup, incense, face and body creams, all elegantly and effectively incorporated raw-materials from their garden that smelled and tasted divine. Thus even today, their toothpaste features iris, their skin creams contain rose oil, pollen, and other delicate but powerful gifts from nature.
This heritage brand was a natural fit for Lan’s shop, not only as the products were already staples in her home and on her vanity, but for S.M. Novella’s dedication to beauty beyond trends and for their use of the highest quality natural materials that perform. Their timeless packaging, with labels unchanged for centuries, graces any vanity or bathroom.
Lan’s clothing is only fully understood when in contact with skin, when the tactile sensation of pure cashmere or silk is experienced. Fragrances that permeate both skin and clothing, creams that create an invisible layer between clothing and body - these are highly intimate, personal, and effect us in eloquent ways beyond words.
We welcome you to personally experience a wide range of Santa Maria Novella products at Atelier Lan Jaenicke, 431 Jackson Street, San Francisco. Or call us with inquiries: (415) 766-4673.