Long before Maison Balzac’s playful glassware and cult homewares found their way onto beautifully dressed tables around the world, Elise Pioch Balzac was growing up in the south of France, surrounded by family, nature and the kind of spirited entertaining that would later become the foundation of her brand. Raised by a creative matriarchy — a mother and grandmother who ran a perfumery together and loved fashion, beauty and hosting in equal measure — it’s little wonder that nostalgia has become the thread running through everything she creates.
After a career in fashion and writing in Paris, Balzac moved to Sydney and transformed a handful of childhood memories into five scented candles. More than a decade later, those memories have evolved into Maison Balzac: a world of whimsical glassware, colourful table settings and charming objects that encourage us to find magic in the everyday.
In conversation with Elise Pioch Balzac
Let’s get up to speed. Tell us a bit about you and your career to date.
My life has been a very happy story from the beginning! I grew up in the south of France by the sea, surrounded by nature and a very loving family of 7 people (each of them is represented in our 7 point star logo). My grand-mother (Jeanine Balzac) and mother (Nadine Balzac) were extremely creative and loved hosting at home – they had a huge influence on my career in fashion in Paris then in homeware in Sydney.
What is your earliest memory of fashion?
My earliest memory is a pair of red patent ballerina shoes that I insisted on buying and wearing when I was five years old. I didn’t tell my mother but they were 2 sizes too small…. the pain didn’t deter my passion for fashion and I wore them all the time.
How would you describe your personal style, and what influences it most?
My style is androgynous, french (!) and comfortable. I wear black pretty much everyday as I find it easy to create outfits in the morning but also it provides a blank canvas to let colours shine around me (at work or at home). I am influenced by my own style only; if it feels right and makes my heart beat faster, I will get it and wear it over and over again!
Maison Balzac began with five candles inspired by memories from your childhood in France. How does nostalgia influence your design process today?
Nostalgia is at the core of everything I do. Every single idea is fueled by memories from my French childhood in the 80’s and also by my adult life surrounded by beauty. I grew up very close to nature thanks to my father and at the same time my mother and grandmother had a perfumery together, they also loved fashion so these two big influences give me inspiration for Maison Balzac. It is very indulgent to relive my happy memories thanks to every collection we launch!
You’ve described Maison Balzac as ‘jewellery for the table’ – what drew you to designing objects for the home?
After working in fashion and writing articles for Le Monde d’Hermes and also children’s books, it was a natural progression for me to start my own house to tell my story. Instead of words, I used objects to recreate the dinner parties and tableware I grew up with. I think every meal is like a mini theatre and the objects become characters to tell your own story.
Having lived between France and Australia, how have those places shaped your creative perspective?
Being French is something I am so grateful for because it gives me a genuine point of view that is different from the Australian way of living. I think that contrast is what makes my brand and my life interesting.
What inspires you artistically at the moment?
Absolutely everything is inspiring to me. I pick up on tiny details all the time, they are like seeds in my mind and then one day they bloom into a product idea or a story. I am weaving my memories with details that I see during my travels or in books or cinema, even fashion, to create something new that is very meaningful to me.
Are there any New Zealand designers or artists you admire right now?
There are so many! Ben Mazey is fascinating, Paris Georgia and Harris Tapper are so talented, I have also been watching Wynn Hamlyn for a while. In terms of painting, I recently discovered Rita Angus and have become slightly obsessed!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
In life, you make your own reality.
Quick-fire questions
The next item on my wardrobe wishlist is… The entire look number 1 from Chanel’s 2026/2027 cruise collection, including the dress, the bag, the earrings.
If you could only save one item in your wardrobe, what would it be? The Birkin Bag I received for my 30th birthday.
My favourite place to dine… at home near Beziers (in France) or Bert’s in Newport.
My next holiday destination… Cadaques (in Spain) again and again!
My ultimate day off looks like… by myself at home, drinking chai tea all morning then going for a walk in the bush (behind my house), lying down under the sun and watching the clouds pass.
