64th Monte-Carlo TV Festival: for its centenary, a documentary traces the history of a luxury fashion house still in the hands of the same family

Expertise and passion have spanned generations at the AKRIS fashion house. This is what the documentary AKRIS - Fashion with a Heritage, screened out of competition this Monday at the Grimaldi Forum as part of the 64th Monte-Carlo TV Festival, reveals. For 40 years, artistic director Albert Kriemler had never let a camera enter his workshops. But for the brand's 100th anniversary, he agreed, for the first time, to lift the veil. For more than two years, director Reinier Holzemer had the privilege of delving into the archives and the world of AKRIS.

A family heritage

Founded in 1922 by Alice Kriemler-Schoch, the house has its origins in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Even today, it remains an exception: one of the last luxury brands still in the hands of the same family. While Albert and Peter Kriemler now lead the company, AKRIS embodies, more than ever, a story of transmission. And this is precisely what the feature film highlights. For an hour and a half, Albert Kriemler retraces his memories: the early years of his life spent at his grandmother's side. "She really had a good eye for fabrics," he says in the documentary. The essential role of his parents, Max and Ute, who took over the reins of the house. "My mother was the most elegant person in the company. She was the woman behind AKRIS, she shaped everything." The strong bonds that united him with each of them and the influence they had on his career. "My father was a businessman, I learned a lot from him." Then, later, when he was between 16 and 17, he discovered fashion in a different way: in Paris, when he attended his very first fashion show, that of Yves Saint Laurent. He took his first steps in the company at the age of 20. His brother joined him a few years later, and since then, they have continued to develop ARKIS internationally.

“It’s difficult to talk about satisfaction in our profession.”

But Albert Kriemler isn't the only one to speak out in the documentary. Many members of his team speak out and, through their testimonies, paint a portrait of a passionate, demanding, and remarkably precise creator. "Where we have to look twice to see the problem, he sees it immediately," confides one of his colleagues. This constant rigor fully contributes to AKRIS's reputation. He himself reflects on this constant quest for accuracy.

"It's hard to talk about satisfaction in our profession. In my opinion, you can never stop asking yourself: is it good enough?" he says on camera. A requirement that doesn't stop at cuts or silhouettes: it also applies, and perhaps above all, to materials. " As a teenager, I was already fascinated by fabrics," he confides. Carefully chosen, thought out down to the smallest detail, the materials used embody both the refinement and elegance specific to the brand.

Meeting with Princess Charlene

A discussion between Albert Kriemler, Reiner Holmezer and the audience was organized after the screening of the documentary. And it was in the course of a question that the artistic director revealed the details of his meeting with Princess Charlene, a great admirer of the house . "It was on June 23, 2010, I was invited to Monaco to meet Princess Charlene. And when I arrived, she told me that she absolutely needed a dress for a very special event. And in reality, it was for her engagement to Prince Albert II." An anecdote that captivated the audience. Princess Charlene also makes several appearances in the feature film. A loyal follower of the AKRIS house, she attended several of its shows, notably during Paris Fashion Week. And this Sunday, June 7, she wore a dress from the brand during her appearance alongside Brigitte Macron at the Louis-II stadium swimming pool during a Water Safety Days operation, named after the program run by the Princess Charlene Foundation aimed at combating drowning and training young people in life-saving techniques.