2 min read
Marie-Anne Derville got her start as a decorator and furniture buyer for interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch, and while she loved the work, she found the protracted timelines to be a slog. Now, five years after founding her own Paris studio, Derville, 39, has rebranded herself a scenographer—a designer of temporary spaces. “I create decor that is totally ephemeral,” she says.
In picking up the pace, Derville has also picked up new clients such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Nordic Knots, and Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director. For the past five runway shows Derville has created luxurious backstage mise-en-scènes where Ghesquière can gather with his team, receive the press, and even have a moment to himself. His passion for design means that Derville can flex her creative muscles, outfitting each space with pieces from galleries such as Kugel, Deroyan, and Anne-Sophie Duval. “Even if it’s for 12 hours, Nicolas deserves to have the best furniture,” she says.
Matthew Avignone
Marie-Anne Derville’s scenography and furniture curation for Nicolas Ghesquière’s dedicated backstage area at the Louis Vuitton fall/winter 2026 show, held at the Cour Carrée du Louvre in Paris.
Next up is Louis Vuitton’s 2027 cruise show at the end of May, for which Derville has made multiple trips to New York. She is also styling interior shoots (you can catch her work in Elle Decor’s April cover story) and dabbling in furniture design, making sleek lamps and chairs with the Rome-based gallery Giustini/Stagetti. “When I was a kid I was obsessed with changing the placement of objects in my room, and that’s why I love scenography,” she says. “It’s the same feeling. It’s about creating a fantasy.”
DESIGN DIAGNOSIS
Define Your Studio: High standards, eclectic, spontaneous.
PENTA SPRINGS LIMITED/ALAMY
Portrait of Madeleine Castaing, Chaim Soutine
Greatest Influences: Jean-Michel Frank, Marc du Plantier, Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld.
Favorite Eras: 18th-century neoclassicism, Art Deco.
Style Trick: Minimalism with maximalism in minimalism.
Beloved Building: Bibliothèque François Mitterrand, Paris.
Admired Architect: Rem Koolhaas.
Destination Museum: The Frick Collection, New York.
Coveted Artwork: Portrait of Madeleine Castaing by Chaim Soutine.
Go-To Galleries: Kugel, Maxime Flatry, Matthieu Richard, Anne-Sophie Duval, Philippe Guegan, Lefevbre, Demisch Danant.
Courtesy of Giustini / Stagetti
NG floor lamp by Marie-Anne Derville, $18,800, giustinistagetti.com
Vintage Piece of Your Dreams: Eileen Gray’s Lotus table.
Place to Get Away: Switzerland.
Elevated Stays: Hotel Bristol, Vienna; the Carlyle, New York.
Best Shop for Gifts: L’Escarboucle bookstore, Paris.
Hostess Gift: Carmine red peonies.
Entertaining Tip: Serve the finest ice-cold champagne in silver Puiforcat coupes, with Jorge Ben Jor playing in the background—that’s all it takes!
Sofa Supreme: 1940s design by Süe & Mare at Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval.
Style Icons: Diana Vreeland, Karen Blixen, Helena Rubenstein.
Maxime Riché
Sofa by Louis Süe and André Mare
Fashion Fixations: Miuccia Prada, Pieter Mulier, Nicolas Ghesquière.
Dress Code: I love the idea of a simple and elegant uniform. True style emanates effortlessly.
Required Reading:Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal.
Cocktail of Choice: Mezcalita.
Restaurant Rave: Chez René, Paris.
Must-Have Handbag: Alger tote by the Row.
Watch to Wear: A Rolex—always.
Rare Jeweler: Sophie Buhai.
Sarah Cristobal is a writer, editor, and creative consultant. She is currently editor-at-large for 10 Magazine USA, among other freelance projects.