French pastry house Ladurée is partnering with Parisian artist Jacques Merle for its holiday 2026 collection.
The collaboration spans macaron gift boxes, Eugenie chocolate boxes, Christmas crackers and its advent calendar for the collection launches on Nov. 4.
This year’s Ladurée holiday designs, created by Merle, draw inspiration from Louis XIV, Jean Cocteau and Georges Braque, with nature, mythology and architecture coming together. The artist’s overall artistic language focuses on joy, which is brought to life with its gift boxes featuring luminous gold suns and sparkling silver stars throughout.
Jacques Merle
Pierre Monetta Photography
Before drawing, Merle begins by focusing on a few lines of poetry before he creates his designs — which Ladurée noted is a similar creative process to its own “care and craftsmanship” that is used to make its own confections.
“I discovered Jacques’ work through his murals — and, above all, his embroidery and textile installations — at Villa Noailles,” Johanne Casagrande, global creative and image director at Ladurée, told WWD. “I was immediately moved by his poetic and delicate world. Jacques Merle draws on inspirations that allow him to strike a balance between pictorial tradition and a contemporary perspective. Together, we created a collection themed around the ‘golden sun,’ featuring a jewelry-like finish with details in gold leaf and embossing. One can sense the artistry in every line, brushstroke and manual touch — a true ode to the arts and to craftsmanship.”
One notable highlight for Ladurée’s collection is its Pyramid Advent calendar, which retails for $189, and has been reimagined as a pyramid of gold and silver macarons. It opens to showcase a calendar with Eugénie chocolate biscuits, chocolates, marshmallow bears and more.
The new Ladurée 2026 holiday collection is available on Nov. 4.