Louise Androlia meets the brains behind hip new concept store Celestine Eleven in Shoreditch. Oh SUCH Numinosity…
The Celestine Prophecy tells us that chance coincidences are meant to happen. I’ve always believed this, that synchronicities are the norm and it’s just our job to tune in and notice them. I’d made a shout out to the Universe to send me the perfect space to host some workshops and when an old friend introduced me to Tena, I knew that I’d found not only the space I wished for but a new and wonderful soul friend.
Tena Strok is the owner and fashion magician behind new couture holistic concept store Celestine Eleven in Shoreditch, London.
On a frosty Saturday afternoon I made my way over to Holywell Lane to have a peek at the store. The moment I stepped inside I swooned, the store reminded me so much of some of my favorite Los Angeles boutiques. A wooden stoop outside, a bar-style apothecary stocked with unique beauty products, raw food powders and also serving teas. The energy in the space is so lovely that it’s very clear Tena has put her heart and soul into the store.
As my eyes roamed the nooks and crannies of the space, filled with items to discover and love, my first thought was that I’d like to take my shoes off, curl up and stay for the week. The store is home to a wide selection of high fashion womenswear (think JW Anderson, Marios Schwab, Theyskens Theory), crystals, which sit dotted amongst home items, handbags, and a wonderfully handpicked book selection. ‘Crystals and Kirchhoff’ I said to myself whilst ogling some magical sparkling arrow shaped bobby pins.
Make your way downstairs and there are two therapy rooms for holistic beauty treatments and healing….and before I drool any more I’m going to let Tena share with you the vision behind her holistic haven.
WITH A BACKGROUND AS A FASHION STYLIST HAD YOU ALWAYS DREAMED OF OPENING YOUR OWN BOUTIQUE?
Always. For me, styling is about creating an atmosphere that others can feel from looking at the image. A store functions in a similar way, and I found the two quite inter-disciplinary. It felt like the natural next step to take what I had learnt from creating images and apply it to bricks and mortar.
AT THE NUMINOUS WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THERE IS SPACE FOR THE MYSTICAL WITHIN THE MATERIAL WORLD, AND CELESTINE REALLY REFLECTS THIS. CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?
I went through what I guess is often called a spiritual awakening, a few years back, following the study and practice of the Eastern model of wellness. It felt like more of a transformation of consciousness, an awareness of the true nature of reality, and an insight into the prevalence of the mind body dynamic. This, once cultivated, makes access to higher states of consciousness possible – something that still informs my daily existence. Discovering and working with this knowledge had, and continues to have, a huge impact on my life. It’s what conceived the intent to spread the message far and wide. We have within us the tools to affect our state of consciousness, and in this way we can contribute to the way that humankind interprets and enjoys our collective life experience forever more – this is big! The spiritual journey never ends. I’m excited for the next stage.
ARE YOU FINDING YOUR VISION TO REFLECTED BACK IN THE CUSTOMERS THAT WALK THROUGH THE DOOR?
Absolutely. We felt as if other luxury retailers weren’t catering to life’s ultimate luxury – wellness. Without emotional, physical and spiritual balance there is no opportunity to really enjoy life’s other offerings, am I right? We need to cultivate a platform from which to access higher states of consciousness, as well as to be able to take advantage of the more materialistic and sensory elements of our human experience. We offer customers the tools to achieve more balance. Our concept suggests that everything in life is inter-connected, so if you affect one area positively, it will be reflected in all the others. There are many roads to higher states of consciousness (including a killer handbag!), which we aim to implement in our product and therapy selection. As Ram Das famously says, “It’ s all the same trip.”
WHAT WILL WE FIND GOING ON IN THE LOWER GROUND SPACE OF THE STORE?
We offer alternative therapies on the Lower Ground Level, where you will find everything from Acupuncture and Reiki to Sound Therapy, with some of London’s most sought after therapists working towards alongside our clients. Also, a relatively new form of healing called Light Grids, which uses cellular clearing and can be performed either individually or during group sessions, which are very powerful. We’re all for a mass healing at Celestine! The alternative church! (I’m joking) But we do like a bit of controversy here, it’s what keeps life interesting. Our concept for the treatment rooms really stemmed from the Eastern model of wellness, and once again is an interpretation of our aforementioned ethos at Celestine Eleven. We also offer immersive group experiences, from energy workshops and pop-up yoga clubs (as part of The Secret Yoga Club) to fashion specific pop-up shops and magazine launches. We actually have a pop-up in the pipeline with Rika, which is also one of the brands we carry as part of the womenswear edit.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US YOUR TOP FIVE CURRENT SHOPPING PICKS FROM THE STORE?
1. A JW Anderson cashmere knit
4. Theykens Theory leather pants
5. Atalanta Weller ankle boots
FINALLY, LET’S DO SOME MANIFESTING TOGETHER! WHAT WILL WE SEE FROM CELESTINE ELEVEN IN THE COMING DAYS, MONTHS, YEARS?
I hope that the theories we wholeheartedly adhere to and the paradigm we follow will plant a small seed of awareness in our little corner of the world…That our ideas become infectious enough to prompt our customers and friends to think about things in a different way, to become open to a new way of thinking, which, if cultivated, can essentially lead to the dawn of a new consciousness within them.
It’s all the same trip.
You can find Celestine Eleven at 4 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3ET, London, UK
http://www.celestineeleven.com
@celestineeleven
