Alain Stella

Celebrate a century of Proven al elegance and craftsmanship through the colorful and whimsical world of Maison Fragonard, a historic perfumer and purveyor of lifestyle goods. Fragonard's rich history in crafting luxurious perfumes and designing fanciful objects for the home is recounted in this beautifully illustrated book. An ode to the essence of a unique Proven al and Riviera lifestyle, it showcases Fragonard's exquisite perfume bottle collections alongside stunning interiors, furniture, and tableware, and highlights a century of elegant design and craftsmanship. Lavishly photographed, it offers readers an exuberant glimpse into the timeless charm of the French art of living well. In the 1920s, as the beauty of the French Riviera began to entice a growing number of cosmopolitan tourists to France, Eug ne Fuchs, a visionary businessman in Provence with a deep fascination for the world of fragrances, introduced a groundbreaking concept by selling perfume directly to visitors. He founded Maison Fragonard in Grasse in 1926, named in homage to the eighteenth-century painter, and launched a business dedicated to local cultural heritage and the refined elegance of the arts of the period. Fragonard opened perfume museums in Grasse and Paris in the 1970s to share the rich history of perfumery with a wide audience through its extensive collections and, in 2025, opened a textile museum in Arles to house its world-class collection of antique Proven al clothing.

A unique glimpse inside a world of luxury, tradition, and splendor. Many historic homes in Paris serve as residences to foreign ambassadors; these historical sites are closed to the general public. From a seventeenth-century h tel particulier, to a Belle Epoque palace, to a distinctively contemporary setting, each residence rivals the next in its beauty, art collection, and period furniture set against a backdrop of accomplished refinement. Alain Stella invites us over the threshold inside the most prestigious chancelleries and ambassador residences in Paris--from China and Peru to Egypt and Poland. Tapestries inspired by Goya's drawings grace the lavish salons at the Spanish residence. Jean Prouv and Charlotte Perriand created a minimalist interior at the Japanese residence that evokes the refined style of a traditional Japanese home. The palace of Eug ne de Beauharnais--home to the German ambassadors since 1818--retains its elaborate Empire style, intact since the time of Josephine. Superb photographs, specially commissioned for this book over the course of a year, divulge the secrets of these previously unpublished artistic and architectural treasures.

A glimpse inside the unique worlds of rich cultural heritage, tradition, and splendour. Many historic houses in Paris serve as residences to foreign ambassadors; these majestic sites are closed to the general public. From a seventeenth-century hôtel particulier, to a Belle Epoque palace, to a distinctively contemporary setting, each residence rivals the next in its beauty, art collection, and period furniture set against a backdrop of accomplished refinement. From China and Peru to Egypt and Poland, Alain Stella invites us over the threshold inside the most prestigious chancelleries and ambassadorial residences in Paris. Tapestries inspired by Goya’s drawings grace the lavish salons at the Spanish residence. Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand created a minimalist interior at the Japanese residence that evokes the refined style of a traditional Japanese home. The palace of Eugène de Beauharnais—home to the German ambassadors since 1818—retains its elaborate Empire style, intact since the time of Josephine. Superb photographs, specially commissioned for this book over the course of a year, divulge the secrets of these previously unpublished artistic and architectural treasures.