“The idea was to tell a story. And this was a good place to start!” the designer. – Photo by AFP

“It's about how with a little imagination you can bring together two worlds that are diametrically opposed,” said the designer. – Photo by Reuters

Setting the scene, a candle chandelier flickers on the princess' gown, before a surrealist image of a castle perched on a rock in the sky. – Photo by Reuters

In the story, she escapes his clutches only by demanding a series of impossible gowns, the colour of the sky, moon or sun. – Photo by Reuters

Sorbier took as his cue the 17th-century French fairytale “Donkeyskin”, about a widowed king set on marrying his own daughter. – Photo by AP

Images of the aurora borealis, warped desire it arouses in her father whose image looms behind on screen. – Photo by Reuters

The black magician called forth computer generated images onto the folds of the princess' dress and a giant screen behind her. – Photo by Reuters

“It is about how we can take haute couture into the future to ensure it survives,” says Frank Sorbier. – Photo by Reuters

“The collection is a bridge between the past, the present and what the future could be,” explained Sorbier. – Photo by AFP

A combination of images shows a model presenting creations by French designer Frank Sorbier during Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collections. – Photo by AFP collections. – Photo by AFP

The black magician. – Photo by AP

French fashion designer Frank Sorbier smiles at French singer Shy'm after the presentation of his Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2013 collection in Paris. – Photo by AP

She wins the love of a royal prince, a beating heart appears on a blood red gown, giving way to a white dress with iridescent butterflies fluttering up and away, into the blue sky beyond. – Photo by AFP