Apple TV+’s Newest Series Is Inspired by the Feud Between Fashion’s Biggest Billionaires

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As fans of The New Look wait for news about a potential season two, another fashion-centric series is heading to Apple TV+. 

A new family drama, titled La Maison, is currently in the works and set to hit the streamer this fall, Robb Report’s sister site Women’s Wear Daily reported on Wednesday. Created by showrunners José Caltagirone and Valentine Milville, the forthcoming series is based on an original idea by executive producer Alex Berger. The 10-episode show will be set within a contemporary French atelier and focus on two feuding families à la the Arnaults and Pinaults. 

“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,” reads the press materials.  

In addition to Wilson, the French-language series will also star Amira Casar as Perle Foster, Vincent’s former muse. Things get interesting when Foster teams up with up-and-coming designer Paloma Castel (Zita Hanrot) to refresh the century-old Maison Ledu, “claiming their rightful place in both the Ledu family and the fashion world.” However, amid Vincent’s downfall, Diane Rovel (Carole Bouquet), the CEO of the rival Rovel luxury group, embarks on a revenge mission to acquire Ledu “using whatever means necessary.” 

The premise evokes the real-life standoff between LVMH CEO (and the one of the world’s richest men) Bernard Arnault and the CEO of Kering, François-Henri Pinault. The French billionaires have been battling it out for decades to conquer the luxury world and more recently, Hollywood. 

Adding even more fuel to the fire, Arnault bought a personal stake in Richemont, another luxury conglomerate competitor that owns Cartier, Bloomberg reported this week. For context, LVMH already has brands such as Tiffany and Bulgari under its belt, along with Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, TAG Heuer, and Hublot, among others.  

Lately, there’s been speculation that Arnault was eyeing the Swiss-based maison, which hit a record $21.7 billion in annual sales in 2023. If the luxury magnate were to eventually acquire Richemont, which is owned by South African billionaire Johann Rupert, LVMH’s global dynasty would be even closer to world domination—and naturally, Arnault is open to expanding his portfolio. 

“We have ideas for the future, but obviously I cannot tell you,” Arnault said, speaking to Bloomberg. “We don’t need to do it. But I know several brands would fit very well, and I know that the owners would be very happy.” 

As for La Maison, you can catch all the action on AppleTV+ on September 20.