The Tamesis
There’s a way that sitting down and journaling seems to pause time, much like lighting a candle with a familiar scent can transport you to a specific place. For model and entrepreneur Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, it’s the slow process of these small rituals that became the basis for Mémoire, her new luxury souvenir brand launching today (May 12). “I’ve always been drawn to objects that are meaningful and things that have been with them, rather than just being owned,” Huntington-Whiteley said. Fashion. “I was one of the people who collected all the birthday cards, all the kids’ drawings. Those things really sparked the idea of objects holding memories.”
There was a time when gestures like handwritten notes were common: “My mother’s generation used to send thank you cards, write in diaries — that’s just the way they did it,” she says. “Right now, we’re looking at the analog world because it feels like an old tradition that’s gone.” Huntington-Whitley, who co-founded Mémoire with Westview Ventures founders Meaghan Cox, Julia Hunter, Hanna Paison and Jackie McCabe, uses that sentiment as a guiding light. The result: a highly limited, carefully considered collection (just seven objects, to be exact), each piece designed specifically to help its owner integrate into the rituals of slow living.
Courtesy of Memoirs
Courtesy of Memoirs
Visually, Huntington-Wheatley roots “Memoirs” in four distinct “worlds” designed to evoke feelings of nostalgia and romance: “The High Castle,” “The Lovebirds,” “The Secret Garden” and “The Glass Lake.” Each one expresses its own identity through patterns, scents and colors. “These worlds bring such richness and depth to the brand’s aesthetic, and I’m excited to see where people sit in them,” she said.
The collection starts at $185; admittedly, it’s an investment, but each piece—from the pebbled leather notebooks and luggage tags made in a family-run factory in Italy to the hand-blown glass vessels holding the candles—reflects a commitment to longevity. The candle comes in two sizes and has a thick amber glass shell that can be used as a decoration after burning. The leather journal (which Huntington-Whitley says she carries with her everywhere) is thick and has a stylish leather-wrapped closure, perfect for a busy life. Each item can have a personal touch, whether it’s initials, a meaningful date or a name. “Personalization makes it something you want to keep. It makes something really feel like your own,” she adds.
