The Garden of Eden & Eden

Enter this door for “curated clobber”

Yesterday I raced through my old office stomping grounds on the cusp of Jackson Square and Northbeach, en-route to meet a colleague turned friend, Anne. The best part of work, to me, is the friend part. And I’m blessed to have met incredible people during my professional journey, many whom are like family to me.

During my mad dash to meet Anne, I passed Eden & Eden, a tiny corner boutique I frequented during my days in the area. Blinded by a pair of vintage I.Magnin sequined shorts sparkling in the window, I detoured in. As I realized I was seriously pushing the late thing (I’m always running late), I retreated.

After a lunch of kale salad, sea bass, and sashimi, I dragged Anne back into Eden & Eden to see the shorts, where I was thrilled that the lovely owner, Rachel Eden, remembered me.

Rachel Eden, admiring the vintage Dior sweater I scored. Indian choker in the foreground also made it’s way into my bag.

“You look great” she exclaimed, the best way to weasel money out of my wallet. And really, I do look better than I did during those dark days toiling on Montgomery Street, bloated from Prozac, booze and a pesky fibroid the size of a Mexican Torta.

A graphic designer out of the UK, Rachel Eden opened this tiny corner shop in 2006 with her son, the other Eden, carrying a well-edited mix of treasures for the body and home, including vintage and unique “non mass-produced” pieces from independent designers from the U.S. and Europe. I happen to especially love her quirky and cool selection of jewelry, most pieces priced under $100. You seriously won’t find anything in her store anywhere else.

In this day and age of over-consumption, I feel no guilt (okay, maybe a little) spending my money in a place like this, for something hand-picked by Rachel, that is well-priced and supports not only her shop, but the designers given a voice in our fast-fashion world.

Look how happy Anne looks in her new “old” shawl!

And I was so relieved to see Eden & Eden continuing to thrive in my old hood, a hood that had been ravaged by the stock market crash of 2008, when companies like mine almost died overnight, covered in the blood of bad economics. While we fled for the safety of our respective homes to ride out the financial shit storm, Rachel hunkered down and is reaping the rewards in an area that the Wall Street Journal recently dubbed, “The Sand Hill Road” (a stretch of road in Menlo Park that is the center of technology funding.)

She also stayed true to what she loves to curate and champion, by continuing to provide Jackson Square with “A cozy, contemporary shop for people who appreciate unique design, great quality, and goodies they love and want in their lives.”

Hmm. That line really applies to people and relationships too. And this shop, and friends like Anne, are unique and I love them and want them in my life.

Below are some of the things you’ll find at Eden & Eden, at 560 Jackson Street, corner of Columbus. And for the love of god, will someone buy those sequined shorts? I just couldn’t pull the trigger.