By Meg Mullery

Sensory overload. What happens when entering one of the five Crème de la Crème specialty stores. Earthy scents emanate from a massive array of candles in charming pottery holders. Rugs, placemats, and tablecloths in rich tones, jewelry handcrafted by local artisans, delight the eye and invite further exploration. And then there’s the soothing background music with an Edith Piaf vibe.

November marks Crème de la Crème’s 24^th year at its first and flagship location in Middleburg, Virginia. Fast forward 24 years and last April marked the Grand Opening of the fifth Crème de la Crème in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. During the intervening years, co-owners Tara and Ben Wegdam remained busy opening two additional Virginia stores, in Richmond and Leesburg, and ventured into Maryland with a store in Frederick. Complementing the brick and mortar locations is a popular online presence.

Both Tara and Ben know retail. For Tara, it’s in her DNA. She grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, watching her parents, and before that grandparents, own and operate The French Shoppe, a successful local clothing boutique.

Along with the opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts of retail, her mother instilled in young Tara an appreciation of nature. Walks in the woods identifying wildflowers and pointing out fascinating insects inspired incorporating a cicada into the Crème de la Crème’s logo. And the cicada pays homage to Tara’s beloved South of France where replicas of cicadas, symbols of good luck and happiness, hang at entrances to homes, hallways and kitchens.

Tara visited France frequently as a young girl. She moved to her favorite city Paris through an exchange program with Hollins College. At the same time, Ben decided to do a semester at the Sorbonne, taking advantage of an exchange program with the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A meet-cute led to connecting over love of retail and all things French. After graduation, Tara and Ben moved to The Netherlands and opened a specialty boutique in The Hague.

Several years later they welcomed an opportunity to move stateside but by no means abandon retail. Hence, Crème de la Crème was born. Its vision, to be a tastemaker as much as a retailer, can be seen with a product mix and brands that reflect Tara’s and Ben’s unique perspective on global cultures and lifestyles as well as personal style. Add an overlay of Southern hospitality and it becomes evident why the stores have survived and thrived against the backdrop of online shopping.

All shops offer a curated collection of unique and interesting finds. Unusual pottery, functional and beautiful glassware, stemware and table settings.  Upholstered furniture made by Lee Industries and crafted in the US is a recent addition to the retail mix at the Alexandria store and ultimately will be available at all locations.

Crème de la Crème shines during the holiday season with a vast selection of one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts and ornaments. Need a hostess gift? Replace the ubiquitous bottle of wine with something unique to be enjoyed for the long term. Style that is timeless. An ethos embraced by Parisian culture and transported to Crème de la Crème. The latest fads or trends will not be found here.

Tara is the person you want to sit beside when your guy friend from the office needs a plus-one and you reluctantly agree to attend a wedding of strangers. She is warm, funny, authentic, engaging. While everyone at the table shows pictures of their kids, Tara excitedly displays pictures of the latest fabulous finds she discovered for Crème de la Creme. Her enthusiasm and love of what she does are evident and infectious.

Tara identifies the late Julia Reed as her style icon. Julia tragically died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 59. Feted as the consummate hostess and lifestyle expert, Julia is famous for her version of Southern hospitality described as spirited entertaining and high style all year long.

Like Julia, Tara loves entertaining and creating eye-candy table settings for the enjoyment of her guests. Harking back to the walks in the woods with her mother, Tara appreciates nature’s creations. She incorporates fruits, flowers, pinecones, grasses and other finds into stunning centerpieces. Friends, customers and admirers are encouraging Tara to offer workshops on entertaining with style and flair, but with a relaxed, fun, no stress approach. Stay tuned. It’s under consideration.

Crème de la Crème: the best of the best, superlative, the very best. Precisely.

About the Author: Meg Mullery is a contributing writer and Blue Ridge distribution “assistant” to the OTC and just a great all around person. She is a Middleburg resident and spends some of her valuable time selling real estate for Washington Fine Properties and volunteering at Sprout – a therapeutic riding program in Aldie.