About

IRFĒ ART Foundation was established by Fashion House IRFĒ, Olga Sorokina and Andrey Bordon in 2012, an institution supporting Russian Art and Culture, as well as the expansion of cultural exchange between Russia and other countries.

The first Russian luxury fashion house was founded in Paris by Russian immigrants — Prince Felix Yousoupoff and his wife Irina Romanova, the niece of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II. After a 90-year break, IRFĒ Fashion House was restored to life by its new owner Olga Sorokina. IRFĒ’s design studio and headquarters are opened on the street Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris. The Fashion House IRFE offers high-end ready-to-wear clothing garments and accessories, made in French and Italian ateliers. In 2016, IRFE Fashion House moved to New York and began to make Couture Collections.

The IRFE ART foundation began its activity with the creation of the Collection of sketches of theatrical costumes and scenery, reflecting all stages of Russian history and culture, from ancient times to Soviet Russia. These are pagan antiquities and epic heroes, pictures of medieval turmoil and merciless Russian revolt, imperial balls of St. Petersburg and military marches, living rooms of noble estates, images of street vendors and peddlers, rich Russian merchants, revolution and war - the whole life of Russia and its history are reflected in theatrical stage.

The collection of the foundation is one of the largest private collections, which presents sketches of costumes and scenery for various theatrical performances in Russian, European and American theaters − Bolshoi Theatre, La Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera and etc.

The dating of the works of art covers a wide time range — from 1890 to present day. All were done by well-known Russian artists and stenographers who found their place in the world history of stage art such as Nicholas Roerich, Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Benois, Leon Bakst, Sergey Sudeikin, Natalia Goncharova, Mikhail Larionov, Аlexander Golovin, Ivan Bilibin, Fyodor Fedorovsky. Art critics recognize as unique many works of art in collection, for example, designs to Serge Diaghilev’s «Russian Seasons» − ballet company 1909−1929 in Europe. Diaghilev’s success was due to recognizing the vitality of contemporary art, famous avant-garde artists created dynamic set designs and exquisitely decorated costumes that shared a unified aesthetic of early twentieth century. Also IRFĒ ART foundation opens today new names of talented contemporary artists and stenographers, whose works are represented in collection.
In 2015, in the Pinakothek publishing house, IRFĒ ART foundation published the album "Russian Stories", in which he presented the masterpieces of the theatrical collection.

In the fall of 2012, as part of the expansion of cultural exchange between Russia and other countries, the IRFE ART foundation took part in organizing a personal exhibition of the famous British artist and sculptor Mark Quinn "The Big Wheel Keeps Turning" at the Moscow Multimedia Art Museum. In September 2013, together with the Auction House Phillips, the IRFE ART foundation took part in the organization of Vadim Zakharov's exhibition "Dance of Dead Tongues" as part of the Fifth Moscow Biennale of Art. In the summer of 2015, during Paris Fashion Week, the IRFE ART foundation presented an exhibition by Vladimir Glynin 'Ballerina Dress'.