The Global Herald’s Linda Scott interviewed Haute Couture designer Franck Sorbier on the morning of his 2014 Spring Summer show in Paris:
1) Growing up, were you always interested in becoming a designer?
I have always had the feeling I would be one day, but without knowing how. Above all, I love the freedom. For me, fashion seemed to be the ground on which I would accomplish my destiny.
I have always been fascinated by the personality of people I have had the chance to rub shoulders with. These people were real, they were not catwalk images, they had their place in society, with their jobs, their own appearance and their mystery.
Nowadays, concerning the status of designers, the adjective “Grand” has disappeared from the terms used in France.
For my part, I had the honour to be named as “Maître d’Art” (Master of Art) in 2011, November by the French ministry of culture. Another string to my bow. I am more proud of this status than the designer’s one. I have joined the club of Raymond Massaro, of François Lesage and more.
2) What was the most important step you took towards your career?
When I decided to present my first collection in 1987, I worked as an external consultant for various trends offices. I took the plunge.
The other step was to create a company. To enter Haute Couture has truly been the crucial choice in getting the Master of Art nomination to accomplish my destiny.
3) Do you think Haute Couture receives enough support from the French government?
Haute Couture does not receive any support in our country. I think that people have an image of privileges and elites, which are not, in fact, the preoccupations of those involved.
4) Who, or what type of person, is your favourite client?
A woman conscious of what an Haute Couture piece represents in terms of work. A woman who has the Haute Couture culture. A woman who invests in a model. A woman who is the opposite of capricious. A woman who becomes a friend, a support, a patron.
5) Haute couture is an expensive business. Where do you see it’s future?
We use do to do collections with few resources. I hope to go further but without any frightening budget.
6) The setup for today looks amazing. How do you feel about this collection compared with previous seasons?
I feel very good. There is all the time, the set up, in each presentation. With this one, I wanted above all to surprise, to reference dreams but also to remind the audience of scale and proportion.
Selected images from the show are shown below. The presentation of the collection took place at the Garde républicaine equestrian training ground in Paris and featured a giant 30ft puppet manned by a team of four men.
Photos: © Piero Biaison
