PARIS, July 11, 2003/ FW/ --- Franck Sorbier chose Marie Laure de Villepin, the wife of the illustrious French Foreign Minister, as the sponsor for his fall couture collection.

From a diplomatic point of view, things are arguably going smoother for France to the East than to the West, and so it is not surprising that the theme of this show would be "The Spice Route".

Fair enough.

Incense was wafting inside the Opéra Comique - just the thing you'd want on a sticky, hot summer's day in a room with minimal to non-existent air conditioning. Then, there were thick pile oriental rugs plastered all over the stage - oh so cool.

But the collection itself was just so heavy. Admittedly winter demands more hearty attire, but elsewhere this season, lightness has ruled the runways.

That aside, the real gems were a series of reversible jackets, colored nutmeg, cardamom, mango, burnt orange, sapphire and ruby. As the references moved further East, say to China, with a delicate kimono in red silk, an inner working of rich brocade, the clothes became ever more convincing.

A silver lace, silver lamé Oriental style wedding dress brought the show to a fine close.

Sorbier always takes care of details, such as his spice route setting replete with live musicians playing exotic Eastern instruments.

His in-house fabrics, though at times cumbersome, are always carefully woven and impeccably finished.

What he needs to do is just lighten up.