Helmut Lang opens today at Buckhead Atlanta

The retailer is among the latest, which includes Scoop NYC and L’Occitane
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The Buckhead Atlanta stores will keep rolling out for months (years?), and this week has been no exception. Today the minimalist Helmut Lang, a sister brand of Theory, is ready for business. Late last week the multibrand retailer Scoop NYC opened, as well as a flagship for beauty brand L’Occitane en Provence.

The Helmut store, which carries men’s and women’s contemporary clothing, feels a bit stark with all the clean lines and black and white and red (inspired by Mars). But take a closer look at the textures. This fall’s collection was packed with angora (on a blood red—“vein”—slinky skirt, $495), fur (on a rabbit “pike fur” vest, $1595), and interesting nubbiness, as in a variant grid sleeveless sweater dress, $425. (We featured the long-sleeved version in our fall fashion feature, “The World Awaits.”) This was the final collection by the husband-and-wife team Nicole and Michael Colovos, who were at the helm from 2006 until February of this year. What the spring racks will hold, we can’t say, because the brand did not show a spring collection last month.

Find more contemporary brands for him and her at Scoop NYC, one of our favorite New York boutique chains. (We got to chat with the CEO, Susan Davidson, earlier this year, about fall trends and Southern style.) Some finds included a bold Missoni minidress ($695) and can’t-go-wrong Rag & Bone booties ($525).

LOccitane_MLBBut the most pleasant (olfactory and otherwise) surprise was the new L’Occitane flagship. Truth be told, we weren’t blown over with excitement when we heard about it—we already have two Atlanta locations—but because it’s one of the French company’s three flagship stores in the U.S., it has some extra oomph. Like the giant ball of dried yellow immortelle flowers, grown organically in Corsica and used in some of their lotions and serums, hanging like a sculpture from the ceiling. Like the barbershop seat in the back for not just mini-facials, but also a shave, men—though services haven’t started up yet. Like the wall display of its signature metal tubes of hand cream, arranged like tubes of paint in a artist’s box. Like the sloping concrete hand-washing sink so you can try everything. We left smelling like lavender in the South of France and verbena.

Next up for our noses—and the development? Parfumeur Diptyque is scheduled to open Friday.

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