Pierre Frey’s story is the adventure of a self-made man. Pierre Frey was born into a bourgeois family in Northern France in 1903 and grew up in an elegant world among music-lovers and antique dealers. When his parents’ fortunes suddenly took a turn for the worse, Pierre Frey as the oldest son had to leave school and go out to work. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. At the age of 16 he was an assistant in an antiques business on Place de la Madeleine. At the age of 23 he was working with Burger, and he later became a sales manager with Lauer: both furnishing fabrics companies. It was on January 1st 1935 that he set up on his own account, creating Pierre Frey. War followed soon after, bringing difficult times with it. Yet Pierre Frey carried on working, on his own, making deliveries to his customers on his bicycle… until finally, in 1945, the business started to take off. From this point onwards, interior designers, painters and artists played their part in the success of Pierre Frey. Ambitious, dedicated, elegant in every sense of the word, Pierre Frey based his success on a skilful blend of passion and rigorous attention to detail.

The present: Patrick Frey – the Chairman

Fortunately Pierre Frey’s only son shared his father’s passion for fabrics. And he also inherited a strong artistic instinct from his mother, a textile designer, and from his maternal grandfather René Prou – a renowned interior designer in the 1930s. When he joined the company, Patrick Frey learned the ropes by working in all the departments. This was in 1969, he was 22 years old, and it was the best way of learning the business. He became creative director of Pierre Frey in 1975, and Chairman in 1976. Since then he has personally approved every new fabric produced by the company – of which there are around 50 a year. His keen eye found inspiration in the spirit of the age and everywhere he travelled. A creative, imaginative and open-minded traveller of the world, Patrick Frey is totally dedicated to his work, like his father. Assisted by his wife Lorraine, who helps to develop the company’s international profile, he brought his enthusiasm, generosity and intuition to the company his father founded.

The future: Pierre and Vincent Frey - taking up the challenge

Pierre Frey, named after his grandfather, was born in 1976. He entered the company in 1999, initially studying at business school before learning the business with some of the company’s partners – weaver, printer and upholsterer. This natural salesman and communicator, with an in-depth knowledge of the transatlantic markets, is now in charge of the US subsidiary.

Vincent Frey was born in 1978 and his talents complement those of his brother. A cosmopolitan, enthusiastic character with a passion for speed, action and excellence, he initially worked in the banking sector in London, Hong Kong and Italy, and is now in charge of marketing and development for the family company.

Pierre Frey is therefore a family story, shaped by a number of diverse and strong personalities. Yet none of this would be possible without the commitment of the highly effective board of directors and the company’s loyal, creative and equally dedicated employees. Every day this great family works to make Pierre Frey what it always has been and always will be: a maison de luxe