FRED / Beyond an icon: the story behind Force 10 with Loïc Prigent.

Why It Stands Out

• Maison FRED is marking its 90th anniversary with a retrospective film dedicated to the Force 10 collection.
• The Force 10 was created in 1966, born from a passion for the sea and FRED‘s audacious creative identity.
• The film was directed by Loïc Prigent and produced by DERALF, with a full creative team including photographer Hugo Gesta.
• The project draws on Maison FRED Archives and private collections to tell the story of one of fine jewellery’s most recognisable icons.

A Parisian Maison at 90

Few jewellery houses carry their identity with quite the same maritime confidence as FRED. The Paris-based Maison has long distinguished itself through a creative philosophy that blends fine craftsmanship with an unapologetically free-spirited outlook — a sensibility that has made it both beloved and distinctive within the upper echelons of French jewellery. Reaching a 90th anniversary is a moment that invites reflection, and FRED has chosen to mark it with a film that looks inward, to the origins of its most enduring creation.

Rather than staging a conventional campaign, the Maison commissioned filmmaker Loïc Prigent — known for his sharp, intimate approach to luxury storytelling — to craft an exclusive short film revisiting the Force 10 collection. The result draws on Maison FRED Archives and private collections, weaving together visual and historical threads that trace how a single idea became a jewellery icon. For collectors and enthusiasts across the GCC, where French fine jewellery houses enjoy significant admiration, this kind of archival storytelling offers a rare window into the creative DNA of a Maison.

The Force 10: Born from the Sea in 1966

The Force 10 collection arrived in 1966, and its origins are inseparable from the sea. FRED’s passion for maritime life — the tension of ropes, the energy of open water, the spirit of adventure — gave shape to a design that was unlike anything else in fine jewellery at the time. The name itself references the Beaufort wind scale, where Force 10 denotes a severe storm: a declaration of boldness embedded in the very identity of the piece.

What has allowed Force 10 to endure across six decades is not simply its visual character, but the conviction behind its creation. The audacious spirit that FRED brought to jewellery design in 1966 remains legible in the collection today, making it as relevant to a new generation of collectors as it was to those who first encountered it. For luxury enthusiasts in the Gulf who value pieces with genuine narrative depth, Force 10 represents exactly that — a design with a story that precedes and transcends any single season.

The Film and Its Creative Team

Loïc Prigent’s direction brings a considered intimacy to the anniversary film. Known for his documentaries within the fashion world, Prigent has a gift for revealing the human and historical dimensions behind objects that might otherwise be admired purely for their aesthetics. Here, working with cinematographer Adrien Privat, photographer Hugo Gesta, and sound designer Clément Duché, he constructs a short film that honours both the archive and the emotion behind Force 10’s creation.

The production, handled by Natacha Morice and Rafaële Nix Secondi for DERALF, reflects the care the Maison has invested in this milestone. Post-production by Julie Lacor and colour grading by Victor Bonnard give the film a visual coherence that suits both the archival material and FRED’s contemporary identity. The campaign film is available to watch via the official FRED Jewelry channel, offering a concise but resonant portrait of a collection that has defined the Maison for generations.

Why It Matters

For GCC collectors and fine jewellery enthusiasts, the Force 10 anniversary offers more than a retrospective — it is a reminder that the most enduring luxury pieces are those rooted in genuine creative conviction rather than trend. FRED’s 90-year history and the six-decade legacy of Force 10 place the Maison firmly among the French jewellery houses whose archives reward close attention.

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