Modern wellness & intentional gifts come to San Marcos
You can feel it the moment you step inside: Fen & Hallow feels calm. Every inch of the storefront vibes with serenity, a soothing, clean energy, as if every element within the shop has been chosen with that in mind.
According to shop owner Heather Van Eck, this is precisely the case. After years of seeking clean, intentional products for her own wellness journey, she understood how she could help others find healing and self care for themselves.
“For 15 years, I was in the cosmetology industry, which is its own form of art and energy work,” Van Eck said. “But I did take a brief break during Covid to stay home with my children. That was a special time, but there’s this tugging as they get older to put something back out there. Serving others is where you’ll find the most fulfillment, so this felt like the most complete alignment, to serve.”
Rooted in this fundamental belief in service, Van Eck opened Fen & Hallow, a modern holistic collective and gift boutique located at 165 S Guadalupe St. Ste. 112. With the shop, Van Eck blends aspects of natural wellness, clean beauty products and artisan-made goods, everything carefully curated to create a centering, calming space just off the Square.
The shop rests on the quieter east side of downtown, putting it near enough to the action without being wrapped up in its occasional noise. It is not by accident that Fen & Hallow came to this space, where it can serve as a quiet respite from the Saturday morning Farmers Market or a soft spot to land after spending a day at work. In fact, Van Eck felt drawn to San Marcos because of its particular energy.
“We’re very happy to be here,” Van Eck said. “One thing I really love about San Marcos is how charming it is, and how pro small business. Every building has whimsy and character and story. You can still eat at restaurants that are owned by families. It feels like this great hub of energy and safety and magic.”
Even the name of the shop itself harkens to San Marcos.
“Originally when we chose the name, I wanted it to be something nature centered,” she said. “I knew from looking it up that a fen was a green land in Europe, specifically in the UK region, where animals gathered, where there were natural waterways, and hallow is like sacred, like hallowed.”
Much like San Marcos draws its energy from the river and its springs, a fen gets its minerals from the groundwater, which helps the creatures that depend upon it thrive and grow.
“At the end of the day, it was about finding something that represented the space. A sacred oasis.
And it is so good.”
In creating this oasis, Van Eck has filled Fen & Hallow with a multitude of pleasing items: Teas and trinkets, gifts and books, botanicals and tinctures, organic snacks (like Maxine’s Heavenly Oatmeal Cream Pies — try them, they’re dreamy!), jewelry and more.
And Van Eck can already envision Fen & Hallow becoming a community space where people can connect along their journey.
“I really want this to be a community hub,” Van Eck said. “Already within two months, we’ve had some really great connections. We helped sponsor the Queer Festival, Lavender Spaces. We’re hosting our first local author, launching her book. She’s doing a book signing here on July 19. We partnered with the city. We’ve done Bubble Fest recently which was super, super fun. I’ve had a really great reception from local businesses. So whether it is the arts, nonprofit organizations, fellow businesses — I want this to be a welcoming melting pot in and of itself. A welcoming atmosphere with a kind of ebb and flow, because when one is doing well, we all do well. I want to put that energy out for others.”
Visit Fen & Hallow Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or, check the store out online at fenandhallow.com or on Instagram @fenandhallow.
A welcoming atmosphere with a kind of ebb and flow, because when one is doing well, we all do well. I want to put that energy out there for others.
