Vintage French Style You Can Rent: Madame de la Maison in Paris
Here’s a novel idea: Instead of generic catering supply, you can now rent vintage Limoges porcelain and Longchamp serveware for your wedding, dinner party, or just because. It’s all through Madame de la Maison, a one-woman operation helmed by Ajiri Aki, based in Paris. Aki—who was born in Nigeria, raised in Texas, and worked in the fashion industry in New York (including at the Met’s Costume Institute) before going back to school to study decorative arts—lives now in France, and takes day trips to the country’s brocantes to sleuth one-of-a-kind vintage finds, then offers them for rent in Paris and beyond. (“So long as the shipping is covered, I’ll ship anywhere!” she told Vogue.)
Aki also offers a selection of antique tableware for purchase (first come, first served), as well as a line of her own ethically produced linen napkins and tablecloths in a wide range of hues. Take a look at her collections (and take cues from her tres-French styling, too).
“Renting and buying antiques is a way to combat the incredible amounts of waste coming from the fashion and textile industry without cramping your style,” she adds on her site. Here, a traditional tablescape with an unexpected palette, including an Orage Linen Runner from Aki’s own collection, made from 100 percent linen from European-grown flax; €60.
Above: The vintage offerings are sometimes one-of-a-kind. Currently on offer: a set of six Mix-and-Match Champagne Coupes, all crystal, collected throughout France and put together by Aki; €75.
https://www.vogue.com/article/madame-de-la-maison-french-country-antique-tableware-linens
