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The Franck Sorbier company : history
The Franck Sorbier company takes shape when its Couturier took the plunge by creating his own brand.
Since the end of the 80's, the Franck Sorbier company involves in the creation and fashion world. From the Haute Couture, flagship of the French excellence, to the creation of art works, including luxury ready-to-wear and prestigious collaborations managed with success by the Couturier and Master of Art (Maître d'Art), the activity is still in process and mixes genders.
Between poetry and requirement, the company is one of the inescapable actors of the French and international fashion market.
Guardian of ancient know-hows, the company is engaged in transmission and perpetuation of traditional and modern technics, alongside its environment and towards the new generations.
Franck Sorbier, who dared "to enter in Haute Couture", transforming chunks of tulle, constantly innovate, invente and "poetry makes", in "patient moves", simple, precious but always grand materials from the Couture field : the lace he bubbles or chisels, the tulle he wrinkles or blisters, the horsehair he tousles, the silk he squeezes and compresses, his « signature » from the beginning.
The refined elegance of/by Franck Sorbier is quite bold. His personal world is vast, almost heavy but always generous as the dreams which live in its heart. The ideal of Couture, the art of life.
© Jeff Guiot
The key dates
1987
Frank Sorbier presents his first experimental collection, collaborates for large advertising campaigns, visuals related to music and follows, at once, his advisor position.
1991
Supported by well-known brands and department stores such Bergdorf Goodman, in New York, Neiman Marcus in the USA, Seibu in Japan, Frank Sorbier launches his own brand based on a mono-product, the tailored jacket, crafted the same way the Surrealists did with their automatic writing, in order to develop a Couture spirit towards women. Following the instant success, Frank Sorbier sets up his company.
Three years later, the Franck Sorbier is distributed all around the world : Saks Fifth Avenue (USA), Al Ostoura (Kuwait), the Swank (Singapore), Harrods (UK), Galeries Lafayette (France), Maria Luisa (Italy)... His work, brand and collections are presented as the same level as Chanel's, Armani's, Saint-Laurent's ...
1994
Cartier notices his talent and ever since sustains each of his collections and shows.
1996
Sponsored by Donald Potard (Jean Paul Gaultier) and Simon Bernstein (Sonia Rykiel), Frank Sorbier becomes guest member of the French Federation of Haute Couture and of Fashion.
1999
Frank Sorbier is integrated as permanent member of the French Federation of Haute Couture and of Fashion.
2004
The French Ministry for Culture names Frank Sorbier as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
He co-creates the Academician costume of the painter Zao Wou-Ki, with François Lesage.
2005
Frank Sorbier obtains the Haute Couture label and so, named Great Couturier (Grand Couturier) by all of his peers and the French Ministry for Industry.
At the same time, he gets another distinction from all the European lace-makers for his true precision work.
from 2005 to 2012
The Franck Sorbier company collaborates with the two most famous French artists, reputed internationally, for the creation of staging costumes : Mylène Farmer for « Avant que l’ombre … » et Johnny Hallyday for « Flash Back Tour ».
The Opéras en plein air choose his expertise and creativity for La Traviata andTales of Hoffmann operas projects.
Vuarnet, General Motors, André, Grey Goose, Devernois, Cartier, Paris Miki, Intel ... have used the multidimensional talent of Franck Sorbier.
2008
The Franck Sorbier company inaugurates a new kind of show. A Haute Couture presentation through virtuality. This concept of virtual collection received numerous awards, notably the Webmaster Awards in the USA, the Grand Prix du Luxe Stratégies Condé Nast and the advertisement Méribel Festival Special Mention award.
2009
Frank Sorbier adds another string to his bow with his first film « The Haute Couture is no longer what it was ! SO WHAT ! » as artistic director and scriptwriter.
The film will be shown on the Ministry for Culture displays, at Palais Royal area, in Paris, during 3 months.
Alternatively, as exhibition curator, Frank Sorbier sets up his ten years of Haute Couture at the Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs of Lyon (Southeastern of France), during 6 months : 30,000 visitors and a exhibition book elaborated by Frank Sorbier and published with the support of Cartier.
2009 - 2010
Frank Sorbier recycles silvered metal fragments and goes into the design and interior design/decoration world with his « Gueules d’Atmosphère » collection. Composed by silversmith fragments, each character is no short of humour.
2010
The French Ministry for Culture names Frank Sorbier Master of Art (Maître d'Art).
2011
Prix du Sommet du Luxe et de la création « Talent de l’originalité 2011 / 2011 Talent of originality »
Exhibition at the Mandet Museum in Riom of « Gueules d’Atmosphère » collection and some Haute Couture pieces in silversmith.
2012
First Couturier to present a Haute Couture collection in augmented reality and in a 3D mapping format. With the the support of Intel, Franck Sorbier shows his « Une peau d’âne de temps modernes » collection.
Modeling of two Haute Couture pieces by Totale Immersion, Intel department, which enables guests to try the apparels, thanks to tracking cameras.
World and allegory between sets and apparition of the virtual collection, a vision of the future :
to give the opportunity to the clientele abroad to get dresses and Haute Couture pieces fabricated from specifics situations and through 3D numerical impression
to enable the clientele to virtually preview the model done, at the other side of the world
2013 - 2015
« La Drôle de Collection », tribute to Peggy Guggenheim, famous patron of the artist from the Modern Age.
« Livre d'Heures », ode to the Renaissance period and the light from the refined fabrics, in the heart of the Swiss Embassy gardens
« Voyage », inspired from Gulliver's Travel where models and wood giant walk all together, joined by the collection ambassador, the New-Zealand singer, Kimbra
« Poème », tribute to the main artistic movements of the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th one, Emilie Simon as godmother of heart of the collection
« Un tendre souffle d'éternité » dedicated to Pirate, the loyal lovebird, sadly dead ; under a bubble rain, between fluidity and softness like the charming flight of a bird
2015
Frank Sorbier introduces the ballet danse in his Haute Couture show as centerpiece, tribute to Eternal Snows, animated by the godmother collection, the prima ballerina (danseuse Étoile) Laura Hecquet and 8 others dancers of the Opéra de Paris ballet.
The Franck Sorbier company signs a co-branding collection project with the children's wear brand, Tartine & Chocolat : creation and fabrication of specific models for the 2016 Winter capsule collection ; launch to international buyers in December 2015, sales in store in July 2016.
2016
The Franck Sorbier company takes the benefit of the Haute Couture collection show, on the legendary terrasse of the luxury Parisian hotel Hôtel Raphaël, to launch the first Franck Sorbier luxury trousseaux little girls' wear collection.
2018
The Couturier and Master of Art, Frank Sorbier and his company show, once again, their commitment to environment and to the animal cause : Frank Sorbier will write himself, towards his guild « I call on my colleagues and counterparts to carry on the boycott of the animal suffering to make the world beauty living on ».
2019
Conception for the Stanivlasky of Moscow and its artistic director Laurent Hilaire of the stage costumes of Giselle (programming in October 2020).
2020
Conception of the stage costumes of La Traviata for the Opera of Bordeaux, following the artistic collaboration with the Capitole de Toulouse.
Maison Franck Sorbier advises the Michelin-starred Grand Chef Alain Passard and the teams of his restaurant L'Arpège in the professional uniforms style.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the French Federation of Haute Couture and of Fashion invites its members to present their collections in digital form.
The Maison Franck Sorbier is therefore directing two films Il Medico della Peste: "Prélude" (July 2020) & "Révélation" (September 2020) directed by Amaury Voslion, shot in the courtyard of the CNAM, the Chapel and galleries of the Musée national des arts et métiers, in Paris.
Laurent-Stéphane Montfort and Bruno Le Page sign the teaser and the making of Il Medico della Peste.
The episode Il Medico della Peste ends with the exhibition of the collection in the Chapel of the National Museum of Arts and Crafts, the broadcast of part 2 "Revelation". For the occasion, the actors and actresses of the films are present among an audience of guests (representatives, journalists, artists ...).
Collaboration between the Maison and the institutions of the CNAM and the Musée national des arts et métiers was made possible by Mr. Olivier Faron, general administrator of the CNAM.
2021
The Maison Franck Sorbier continues the cinematographic adventure for its 2021 Summer collection "Muse en Scène" with a film directed by Bruno Le Page and Laurent-Stéphane Montfort.
The muse is played by actress and sculptor Catherine Wilkening.
Creator Frank Sorbier honors women artists. From Leonor Fini to Tamara Lempicka via Louise Abbéma, Camille Claudel or even Nikki de Saint-Phale, it is to pay tribute to his women who brought a new touch to the world of the Arts.
The 2021-2022 Winter Haute Couture collection "L'esprit des Lieux - Chaalis - La Servante, le Passeur et la Relique" evolves through the Domaine de Chaalis and the Royal Abbey of Chaalis.
A film directed by Laurent-Stéphane Montfort.
The film sounds like a philosophical fable, a dreamlike tale and speaks, above all, of an immutable subject: wealth and poverty.
Frank Sorbier reunites with a long-time friend, Mario Luraschi, accompanied by his wife Clémence and his teams including Yann Vaille and Gaëlle Brigo to orchestrate the scenes of the horses, opening and closing the film.
"La Haute Couture n'est plus ce qu'elle était ! SO WHAT !
("The Haute Couture is no longer what it was ! SO WHAT !")
2009 Summer Sorbier Haute Couture