From the Arnaults to the Pinaults, the Guccis to the Versaces, family drama has been a cornerstone of the luxury fashion landscape for decades.
This fall, Apple TV+ is bringing it to the screen with “La Maison,” which will pit the Ledus against the Rovels.
Debuting Sept. 20, the French-language, 10-episode, one-hour show follows two rival “illustrious, dysfunctional and powerful” families as they vie for dominance in the cutthroat world of high-fashion — and the action centers around a Paris-based high-fashion atelier.
“High fashion meets high stakes in this behind-the-curtain look at how an iconic fashion house is thrown into scandal and reinvention by a viral video featuring star designer Vincent Ledu, played by Lambert Wilson, leaving his family’s iconic and legendary haute couture house Ledu hanging by a thread,” according to press materials. Perle Foster, played by Amira Casar, Vincent’s former muse who is still in his shadow, teams up with next-generation, visionary designer Paloma Castel, played by Zita Hanrot, to save the century-old maison, but they have competition.
Seizing on Vincent’s downfall, Carole Bouquet plays Diane Rovel, chief executive officer of the rival Rovel luxury group, who launches an offensive to acquire Ledu using whatever means necessary. And of course, more than just business, it’s about revenge.
Apple TV+ has been carving out an audience for fashion programming; in February, the studio released “The New Look” about designer Christian Dior and his contemporaries, and in September 2023, it released “The Super Models,” a four-part documentary about the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington.
“La Maison” is a TOA-The Originals of America production, in conjunction with studio TOP-The Originals Productions, which made French spy thriller “The Bureau,” which became an international hit.
“La Maison” stars seven-time César Award nominee Wilson (“De Gaulle”), César Award-nominated Amira Casar (“Call Me by Your Name”), Best Actress César Award winner Bouquet (“En thérapie”), Most Promising Actress César Award winner Zita Hanrot (“Fatima”), Most Promising Actor César Award winner Pierre Deladonchamps (“Stranger by the Lake”), Best Actor in a Supporting Role César Award winner Antoine Reinartz (“Anatomy of a Fall”), four-time César Award nominee Anne Consigny (“Elle”), César Award nominee Florence Loiret Caille (“The Bureau”), rising star Ji-Min Park (“Return to Seoul”) and Most Promising Actor César Award nominee Corentin Fila (“Being 17”).
Based on an original idea by Alex Berger, who serves as executive producer, the series is created by showrunners José Caltagirone and Valentine Milville and directed by Fabrice Gobert (“The Returned”) and Daniel Grou (“Lupin”). Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet also serves as executive producer.