Maison Gala
A FAMILY HISTORY...
Maison Gala’s mission is to promote healthy and authentic values.
Into each of her creations, Carmen puts a pinch of herself, a touch of Italy and a large helping of passion.
In the fall of 2012, Carmen left Lake Maggiore and came to France for both personal and professional reasons. As soon as she reached the “City of Light”, Carmen wasted no time in pursuing her high-powered career in finance, a career on which she had embarked some ten years earlier in Milan.
Carmen’s new Parisian friends were soon to discover a range of Italian culinary specialties and fine dining traditions at impromptu yet festive meals, where pride of place was reserved for linen tablecloths hand-embroidered by her Nonne (grandmothers) and her Zie (aunts), dinner services made by hand or family glassware handed down between successive generations.
Flash forward to 2018 after several years in which these handcrafted family treasures were lovingly and carefully preserved.
It was then that Carmen had her lightbulb moment, when the stack of plates gifted by Nonna Carmela found itself on the floor, shattered into a thousand pieces! "Never mind, we’ll order a new set", she consoled herself.
But she soon realized that the artisan who had made them was no longer in the trade. Impossible to replace the broken plates like for like. The end of a chapter of family history, the end of a dinner service passed down for generations...
This disappointment and the loss of her much-loved family heirlooms prompted Carmen to look into ways of preserving craft traditions and skills. During the watershed year of 2020, she decided it was time to give new meaning to her professional life and embark on this socially accountable, sustainable and authentic project.
Maison Gala was born...
WHY « MAISON GALA »?
Maison (or “house” in English) is the place where family members can gather, a home where people can meet and receive those dearest to them.
Gala, from the old French word "gale", meaning “merriment”, “celebration” or, more generally, a “festive occasion”.
Maison Gala: a name that associates the notions of family and festive spirit.
CARMEN CARROZZO.
Carmen Carrozzo, founder of Maison Gala, Italian by birth and Parisian by adoption.
"Before embarking on this major business venture, my career had always followed a fairly conventional course: high school diploma in science, degree from a major business school in Milan and over 20 years working in finance for leading international groups. The time had come to change direction and develop a lifestyle project dear to my heart."
"I now split my time between the Paris headquarters of Maison Gala and Italy, where I am constantly looking for new artisanal talents and meet with those already on board. Each new creation is the product of my imagination and my discussions with its makers (master ceramists, embroiderers, etc.). I keep a close eye on all stages of the production process to be able to offer our customers more than just an object, the chance to share a lifestyle experience.”
"Thank you for accompanying me at least some of the way in this venture. I hope that you will fall in love with my collections and appreciate the stories that lie behind them".
FINE DINING, OR THE ART OF BRINGING PEOPLE CLOSER TOGETHER.
"I like to think that my collections tell stories, conveying feelings and values with that little extra Italian touch. Each collection is produced by Italy’s finest craftsmen and women and can be personalized to adapt to your individual tastes. We can offer you products that are unique and will whisk you and your table off to Italy and its various regions".
Carmen Carrozzo
For its founder, Carmen Carrozzo, Maison Gala is, above all, a human venture driven by a desire to share values that are both robust and strong. A venture uniting men and women willing and able to apply their skills to creating sustainable lifestyles. Craftspeople who, through their creations, share a common history and traditions.
FINE DINING RESPECTFUL OF ARTISANAL VALUES.
"By inviting us to your table, you are writing a new page in your life story, leaving your stamp on a moment in time by making it unforgettable".
Carmen Carrozzo
At Maison Gala, we believe that our most precious moments are those we share with friends or family. A welcoming atmosphere and the pleasure of sharing a good meal start with the dinner table and its decoration. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to feast our eyes on a beautifully laid table decked with elegant crockery, cutlery and place settings. Maison Gala offers unique and exclusive tableware that can be combined according to your taste, original, high quality products that are the work of craftspeople, ceramists, embroiderers and weavers, all highly attentive to finish and detail. Their wares will adorn your table and confer on the art of hospitality the distinction it deserves.
FINE DINING AS A SOCIETAL VALUE.
"I scour Italy in search of artisans to join us at Maison Gala. What I am mainly looking for are genuinely authentic designs so I can offer you products I would happily use myself, if you were to dine with me! Our relationship with our suppliers is simple, natural and sustainable. Our mutual commitment is at human level and synonymous with mutual trust. We share a common desire to bring unique and authentic know-how to your table".
Carmen Carrozzo
At Maison Gala, our aim is to promote local consumption, by exploiting ancestral know-how and by fostering creativity and craftsmanship. We are determined to perpetuate artisanal values with their uniqueness, timeliness and elegance. For us, standardization is anathema. We depend on our craftspeople for our success
FINE DINING COMBINED WITH SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
“Maison Gala is strongly attached to the principles of accountability and is conscious of the need to shrink our carbon and boost our societal footprint: all the products marketed by Maison Gala are in complete harmony with nature through use of noble, eco-responsible and environmentally-friendly materials.”
Carmen Carrozzo
Our raw materials come from Europe and are completely natural. Our collections are produced in limited quantities and packaged in eco-responsible, fully recyclable boxes (FSC certification).We are keen to play our part in creating a better world by supporting social and cultural initiatives. For each collection purchased, a percentage of the sale price will be passed on to a humanitarian association or a cultural event of the particular artisan’s choice.
From Maisongala.com