THIS AUTUMN, the Victoria & Albert Museum has joined hands with Maison Ladurée to launch an exclusive macaron gift box.
Stylish, elegant, and fashionable, the new gift box honours the timeless style icon, Marie Antoinette. Drawn from the archives of the V&A, the box design has been inspired by 18th-century French fabric samples and features soft pastel hues intertwined with delicate floral motifs.
At the centre of the design sits a vignette of millinery, sourced from the Journal des Luxus und der Moden – one of the earliest fashion magazines and a testament to the era’s passion for style.
V&A x Maison Ladurée
V&A x Maison Ladurée
Inside the box, Marie Antoinette’s personal monogram gleams alongside her portrait by Jean-François Janinet, after the original painting by Gautier d’Agoty.
Beyond the exquisite packaging, the macarons themselves recall the queen’s celebrated taste for beauty and pleasure, each one a small homage to the artistry of French pâtisserie. The limited-edition gift box is also on view within the V&A’s exhibition Marie Antoinette Style, presented alongside a full-scale reconstruction of the pièce montée made famous in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette film.
This collaboration offers not only sweet indulgence but a taste of history, elegance, and artistry, echoing the enduring world of Marie Antoinette.
by Sophie Richardson
A box of 27 macarons retails for £71. A shippable box of 16 macarons retails for £49. For more information or to purchase, please visit here or your nearest Ladurée boutique.