Hidden behind an unmarked door in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, ‘Rose, c’est la vie’ is an unexpected sanctuary of softness amid the intensity of Art Basel Paris 2025, a concept created by architect and designer India Mahdavi in collaboration with Luca Pronzato, founder of We Are Ona, and Mexican chef Jesús Durón.
The week-long pop-up is set inside a former car repair shop, turned into a radical speakeasy of rose texture, pink everywhere, and soft colors, where every surface is swathed in a floral pink textile inspired by the Rose d’Ispahan. The project reenvisions hospitality as an act of emotion, what Mahdavi calls 'the seriousness of happiness'.
India Mahdavi and We Are Ona Present Rose, C’Est la Vie
During the event, Mahdavi and Pronzato discussed the origins of their collaboration and the creation of their multisensory dining experience. Mahdavi explained that the project emerged from a desire to bring beauty and emotion into an increasingly aggressive world. She noted that her work is centered on creating memories – fleeting moments of happiness that linger long after the experience itself.
What began as conversations between Paris and Mexico evolved into the idea of an ultra-feminine, feminist speakeasy. For Mahdavi, this was a conscious departure from We Are Ona’s earlier projects, which had been mainly led by men. It was a continuity within the quality, of course, but a rupture with the aesthetics that were being brutalist, minimalist, etc. She wanted it to be immersive – the experience has to start from the street. Where are you going? How do you enter? There should be a bit of a surprise.
A Floral Dream Inside an Industrial Shell
That sense of discovery guided the search for the venue. After reviewing several options, the team settled on an old carrosserie, a former car workshop, where the rough industrial shell could contrast with Mahdavi’s delicate transformation, as her design wraps the entire interior in a bespoke textile inspired by the Rose d’Ispahan, a small and fragrant Persian flower often used in decorative arts.
India Mahdavi shared:
"I started working with the idea of a floral fabric, which was inspired by the rose of Isfahan, Iran. It’s a small, beautiful rose that has the most incredible perfume. I just took it to a different scale, and it turned into this kind of shimmery, feminine world. I felt like, within this environment of the art fair, it would be nice to have this feeling of being embraced by your grandmother, in a way. So, the project was made by me responding not only to We Are Ona, but also to the event in Paris, and to my own aesthetics."
"What’s interesting about this experience is that you’re free to work with your imagination. The fabric gives you a very special feel. I’ve always been interested in designing patterns for fabrics or wallpapers, and that’s part of my language. I use ornaments a lot in my work. It’s a way of giving a new identity to a space that we’re modifying. It’s an efficient and beautiful way of doing that."
An Experience Focusing on Positive Elements – Softness, Happiness, Warmth, and Coziness
Mahdavi thought about the situation of the world today and observed that it frequently feels intense and unclear, like a place where the past is gone and the future is yet unknown. This emphasizes to her the value of living in the now. Her artistic ethos revolves around creating lasting memories and brief moments of joy that individuals can cherish. She explained that the only way to really comprehend what is real is to experience it firsthand, highlighting the importance of authentic experience at a time when digital images predominate.
The experience in a video
She described the multisensory dining project as an exploration of connection and presence — an experience meant to be shared. With communal tables bringing together strangers, the setting encourages conversation, discovery, and a sense of togetherness among guests who share a passion for design, food, and meaningful encounters.
Photos by: @laurent_gia and @lfvrobin.
