PARIS, Jul 8, 2006/ FW/ --- Franck Sorbier does not hold just a regular runway show. He presents his collection in a form of drama, the set is very elaborate and the theme, together with the collection converged as one. For Fall 2006, Sorbier brought us to the magnificent world of the circus.

No, it is not the run of the mill Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey variety either. It’s a magical world where fantasy meets reality, where ‘circus costumes’ are elegant creations visualized by Franck Sorbier on how a beautiful woman should dress.

The models did not catwalk, they mingled and interacted with the ‘circus animals.’ They caressed a giraffe, touch a zebra and play with the children without losing their poise and their graceful countenance.

Franck Sorbier chose to dress the ladies of the circus in taut bodices and full skirts. The waist is emphasized, the sleeves gathered at the shoulder to taper sinuously towards the wrist.

Minis look like ballerina dresses, but don’t mistake it as a fashion faux pas if you see it on the red carpet, like what happened several years ago at the Oscars. Done in black and embroidered in golden brown, it is a chic and edgy cocktail dress.

The same concept was used with a red and black number that is off-the shoulder and the hemline reaches just above the knee. A bias cut skirt made full with the use of old-fashioned crinoline, it is a fashion-forward hoopskirt that just astounds you.

There were some ethnic influences too; the theme is the circus after all. The Thai costume became a day coat encrusted with jewels, while the harem pants were reworked to be loose at the top and tight from the knee down.

Daywear and eveningwear intermixed; while the model stand still, you think of it as daywear, then she moves and turns, and the dress is transformed into something for the night.

Franck Sorbier makes you feel that all these clothes are within your reach, the style and sophistication within your fingertips. You close your eyes with the hope that they don’t go away. And, they don’t, because Franck Sorbier designed the clothes for real women and not just a figment of his imagination.

So, you can open your eyes now and see the collection once again in their entire splendor.

Franck Sorbier

Franck Sorbier

Franck Sorbier

Franck Sorbier