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News · Asia · india · Pondicherry

La Maison Rose

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Maybe it's the closeness of the sea, or the massive pink gate and the play of colors between the blue sky and the bright building facades of the French Quarter; whatever the case may be, as soon as you step over the threshold of La Maison Rose, you feel slightly nostalgic for the South of France. The feeling that you're in your own little world, both a myth and reality, is like a 21st century paraphrase about French-colonial chic. Housed in a historic villa built in the French-colonial style, La Maison Rose is a deftly run empire of lifestyle, in which both European and Indian influences can be strongly felt. In terms of emotions and atmosphere, it is a space of unique inspiration; simply wander about and enjoy the lightness and absolute perfection of the construed carelessness that has been given to the display of every object (be it clothing or an interior design object) and the space around it. In the blink of an eye, you'll get the feeling of being in a slightly surreal house, in which all guests are welcome.

Foto: La Maison RoseFoto: La Maison RoseFoto: La Maison Rose

The soul of La Maison Rose is the French fashion designer Agathe Gerin Lazaro, whose relationship with India has spanned more than twenty years now. In 1994, having been here several times before (the first time was in 1981), she arrived in Delhi with a suitcase and decided to stay. At first, Agathe opened a fashion boutique in Delhi, but then she moved to Goa; her husband, artist Desmond Lazaro, is well-known in India, and they have three sons. They moved to Pondicherry relatively recently, for personal reasons.
Agatha says that La Maison Rose is, in its way, a dream come true - she had the idea for it while in Goa, but it didn't come to fruition there. This time, the project came about in cooperation with Amethyst, a lifestyle store and restaurant highly regarded in Chennai's social scene.
Le Maison Rose is right in the heart of the French Quarter, on Romain Rolland Street, where historic buildings from the 18th century still line both sides of the street. Some of them have been restored, one of which is home to the city's most prominent lodging establishment, Hotel de l'Orient. The building that houses Le Maison Rose has a very troubled past - the British practically bombed it flat in their time. It was later restored, largely thanks to the impressive wine cellar that forms the building's foundations - it had remained largely untouched during the turbulent times.
When stepping into La Maison Rose, you first enter a sun-filled, all-white salon, which also serves as an art gallery. Along with paintings by Indian artists, books and vintage furniture, one of the most extravagant interior elements in the room is a gigantic chandelier made from plastic water bottles. In its way, it is the perfect "cherry" on top of all of the feelings that La Maison Rose evokes - the foundation of which is an alchemy consisting of elegant and harmonious French charm, Indian traditions, contemporary design, and history. It is precisely this atmosphere that pulls you in and invites you to get lost in the labyrinth of rooms at La Maison Rose, where one room has been handed over to interior design objects, and the others to clothing, accessories and jewelry. Three brands have been holistically and stylishly united under one roof - Domus, Amethyst and Oh la la. The last is Agathe's own label; her clothes embody the lightness of a contemporary world traveler - European in style and cut, but with a clearly noticeable touch of Indian tradition. In fact, both influences, which are equally represented, create such a harmonic whole that when wearing these clothes, you'll feel just as comfortable whether you're in India or the South of France.
In the inner courtyard of La Maison Rose, under the shade of a towering neem tree, you'll find one of the most intriguing restaurants playing on Pondicherry's stage at the moment - La Caravelle. Their menu features a contemporary fusion of European and Indian cuisine.

8, Romain Rollan Street
Pondicherry ¬ 605001
T 0413 4210808

02/2012

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