Last week, the fashion crowd assembled in the South of France for the 31rst edition of the Festival de mode et de photographie de Hyères. This fashion festival (with many Belgian fashion designers as alumni) not only takes over this small fishermen’s community, it is held in a wonderful villa: La Villa Noailles.
La Villa Noailles was the first construction of Robert Mallet-Stevens
The villa was commissioned by vicomte Charles de Noailles, who together with his wife Marie-Laure, truly enjoyed collecting art, both of them being friends with lots of artists of their time. The art lovers asked Robert Mallet-Stevens for a winter residence, immediately underlining the importance of it being a ‘modern’ building, exuding their modern way of life. It was the architect’s first realization, except for some of the film settings he had designed already. La Villa Noailles was constructed between 1924 and 1933, and initially being a smaller venue, became quite a large construction, totally in line with the couple that would stay there during winter. It had a swimming pool and a fitness room – which was rare at that time.
Some of the terraces offer unique vista points
Last year, I visited Hyères and its (almost) completely renovated Villa. I loved the place, being stuck on one of the hills of Hyères. I absolutely adored the old swimming pool, but what I loved the most were the different terraces which offered a beautiful view of the city.
A complexity of lines rules the Villa
