If your love of French drama, French fashion and equally compelling French families rivals ours, then you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a new series dedicated to just that coming your way.
Featuring a talented cast that includes Lambert Wilson, Amira Casar, and Zita Hanrot, La Maison pulls back the curtain on the lives of powerful families who exist within the realm of haute couture.
And while the story itself is fictional, Apple TV+’s new series will undoubtedly draw inspiration from the real-life workings of iconic French fashion houses.
But exactly which fashion family is the drama inspired by? We debunk fact from fiction below, with everything we know about what inspired La Maison.
What Is La Maison About?
The 10-episode one-hour drama is said to be an “immersive look” behind the scenes of the “ever-evolving world of fashion, aspirational French elegance and luxury and the lives of its powerful families,” as per the synopsis.
One family in particular finds its legacy at risk of collapse after a viral video featuring star designer Vincent LeDu (Wilson) plunges the fashion house into scandal.
“Perle Foster (Casar), Vincent’s former muse who is still in his shadow, teams up with next-generation, visionary designer Paloma Castel (Hanrot) to save and recreate the century-old Maison LEDU, claiming their rightful place in both the LeDu family and the fashion world,” the synopsis continued.
“Taking advantage of Vincent’s demise, Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the ruthless CEO of the powerful Rovel luxury group, launches an offensive to acquire what she sees as her most important prize: Maison LEDU. To achieve her goal, anything is fair game as this is more than acquiring just another brand, it’s about revenge.”
Is La Maison Based On A True Story?
While La Maison is entirely fictional – based on an original idea by executive producer Alex Berger – you wouldn’t have to dig deep to find similarities between fact and fiction within the fashion industry.
As noted by Town & Country, the storyline of Vincent LeDu in La Maison rings similar to the 2011 incident involving John Galliano, when Dior fired the designer following a viral video of his public antisemitic rant.
Facing public and legal scrutiny at the time, Galliano was later redeemed in 2013 – or as a Guardian article puts it, “fashion forgave John Galliano” – and went on to become the creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela.
Of course, while the series may draw inspiration from real-life patterns and events, we expect the creators will take all the creative liberties when it comes down to the storylines and characters.
It’s also no secret that powerful families control – or have controlled – many of the most famous fashion houses of our time, including the Armanis, the Fendis, and the Pradas. Many families have since sold controlling stakes to larger fashion conglomerates like LVMH, but others remain at the helm to this day.
Who Is Cast In La Maison?
The series stars seven-time César Award nominee Lambert Wilson (De Gaulle), César Award-nominated Amira Casar (Call Me by Your Name), and Best Actress César Award winner Carole Bouquet (En thérapie).
Joining them are Zita Hanrot (Fatima), Pierre Deladonchamps (Stranger by the Lake), Antoine Reinartz (Anatomy of a Fall), Anne Consigny (Elle), Florence Loiret Caille (The Bureau) and rising star Ji-Min Park (Return to Seoul).
Where To Watch La Maison In Australia
La Maison is co-produced by Apple TV+, which means that’s exactly where you’ll be able to find the series once it releases.
The series will make its debut with the first two episodes on September 20 on Apple TV+, followed by one episode weekly every Friday through November 15.
Stream La Maison on Apple TV+ from $12.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
