As a fervent supporter of today's railway renaissance, it is memorable to talk to Maxime d'Angeac, the artistic director of luxury travel group Orient Express and the mastermind behind the soon-to-debut, thoroughly restored 1883 train of the same name, now renamed L'Orient Express. By 2027, when its lavish vintage carriages are expected to hit the tracks once again, he will have made it possible for travelers to turn their dream of cruising aboard it, journeying from Europe's heart to the East, into a reality, 134 years after its inaugural journey.
A behind-the-scenes look at the luxury train ride's ambitious project, which is operated by Accor, is a rare thing in itself. But getting one within the immersive setup of 1925-2025. Cent ans d’Art déco — an exhibition organized for the centennial of the ever-influential Art Deco movement at Paris's Musée des Arts Décoratifs — instantly elevates our chat, particularly as it takes place inside a life-size sample of a reborn Orient Express sleeper.
