For his Spring Summer 2015 haute couture collection, French couturier Franck Sorbier paid homage to his late pet bird, a colorful parakeet, sending down the runway a nature-inspired collection, replete with ladybug embroideries and flower appliques. Titled “A light breeze of eternity,” the collection was a succession of minimalist, ethereal gowns in white organza with hand-painting silk and white raffia lace, though the runway show opened with a black “mourning” dress in raffia and velvet rubans for the late pet, Pirate. And throughout the collection, Sorbier made personal references to events and journeys he had taken with his pet, from Saint-Paul-de Vence, to China, and a fairground.

The couturier used his usual compressing technique on bustiers and skirts, which could at times become a bit repetitive. The highlight of his collection though was a miniature painting on a bustier, “Pirate in the garden of Eden,” which featured the parakeet surrounded by semi-precious and glass cabochon.

Sorbier’s runway presentations are noted for their full immersive fantasy experience but here, inside the the Oratoire du Louvre church, he reined in on his models’ soap bubbles. Nonetheless, coupled with a non-stop mist, the mood was one of magical mystery, which enhanced his presentation, one of his most successful in recent years.

As first published on BLOUINArtinfo..com