BLEU SHARK: The Sex Toy of the Summer
Limited to just 1,000 pieces, BLEUSHARK is available now at dorcelstore.com.
What aspects of your early life and upbringing led you into the erotic publishing business in 1968, and eventually to founding Video Marc Dorcel in 1979?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, a lot of curiosity—and some luck. I started young, wanting to launch my own business. After my first project didn’t work out, I was in a café when a friend opened his mail—it included cash and cheques. I was intrigued. He was selling books by mail order. I thought it was a good idea, so I started small, selling a few romance novels. Then someone offered me an original manuscript—the one that became Ursula—and I took the plunge into publishing.
I also noticed a market for pseudo-erotic American magazines, often unsold copies imported by the container and sold at high prices. I figured I could improve on them—add photos to the texts, in the style of photo novels. Then by chance, a neighbor who repaired VCRs offered to film my photo shoots. I hesitated, but eventually agreed. That’s how Video Marc Dorcel was created.
In 1968 you sold 20,000 copies of the erotic novel Ursula, only for it to be banned by French courts. How did you respond to that censorship, and what drove you to continue innovating?
Ursula was a hit, selling nearly 30,000 copies. Though it wasn’t banned outright, it was restricted from being displayed. Still, I was proud to see it in shop windows next to books by authors like Joseph Kessel.
At the same time, I was watching the arrival of pseudo-erotic American magazines in newsstands. I saw an opportunity to create something more polished, with a different visual standard. I’ve always been passionate about imagery, and I wanted to offer a more elegant, more French eroticism—stories with realism and identifiable characters. That’s what led to the first erotic color photo novel.
"Créateur de plaisir pour adultes.” How do you personally define “creating pleasure,” and how has that philosophy guided your work and brand identity over time?
Creating pleasure means imagining experiences. I’ve always wanted to tell stories and stir emotions—desire, thrill, curiosity—with elegance and respect. Very quickly, this approach became part of everything we did: films, objects, campaigns. It wasn’t just an editorial line—it became a signature. Today, “creator of pleasure for adults” sums up over 45 years of what Dorcel offers: a sophisticated and unapologetic vision of pleasure, backed by real expertise. We see ourselves as artisans of pleasure—with that French touch: aesthetics, sensuality, and freedom.
In 1995 Dorcel became the first French studio to sign a star on an exclusive contract, creating the Dorcel Girls concept. How did using “ambassador” performers change the company’s image?
It was a turning point—treating performers as long-term partners rather than interchangeable roles. The Dorcel Girls became true collaborators. Some even accessed mainstream media, representing the brand in spaces we couldn’t. This helped shift perceptions in the industry, highlighting performers as artists with their own voice. Clara Mia, for instance, now represents this evolution by directing and starring in our films.
Do you see the BLEU SHARK collaboration as part of a trend of destigmatizing sex toys through design?
With BLEU SHARK, we wanted to rethink the sex toy by transforming a retro shark toy into something playful, stylish, and unexpected. Collaborating with Julien Boudet—whose work mixes street culture, 90s nostalgia, and vintage references—we created an iconic object reimagined for adult pleasure.
Design becomes a form of expression: not just about function, but about culture, aesthetics, and desire. The goal was to move beyond medical or hypersexualized imagery and create something that could be embraced or displayed without taboo.
BLEU SHARK is part of a larger movement toward liberated, joyful, and stylized pleasure.
You still remain active. What daily habits, inspirations, or relationships keep you motivated, and are there any emerging artists, filmmakers, or cultural trends that currently excite you?
Curiosity remains a core value. At Dorcel, we continue to observe, listen and draw inspiration. In a field as dynamic as ours, everything is constantly evolving, and that's a good thing. Pleasure, representations and uses are also cultural and societal issues. They change, they question, they reflect their era. Being attentive to these developments is what allows the brand to remain relevant, without ever becoming stagnant.
How does it feel knowing your son now leads the company you built? Were there concerns or surprises in that transition?
The transition wasn’t formal—it happened naturally, through discussions and shared milestones. There was no plan, just a shared will to preserve what we’d built while letting it grow. Grégory gradually took over in the early 2000s.
Seeing the brand evolve under a new generation is both continuity and transformation. It’s not a fixed legacy, but a living project. That’s Dorcel’s strength: instinct, opportunity, and a vision of pleasure that adapts without losing its essence.
What’s one common misconception about the adult film industry you wish people saw differently?
That it’s not serious work. That it requires no standards or commitment. This is false.
Creating, producing, and distributing in this space demands as much rigor as any cultural or media industry.
At Dorcel, we work with artists, technicians, and partners who uphold the same values: quality, professionalism, respect. Pleasure needs structure. Eroticism needs ethics. It’s the only way it has real meaning.
What’s the wildest or most extravagant project you’ve ever greenlit?
Dorcel has always embraced boldness—but never for its own sake. Every gamble must serve an idea, a new perspective, or a desire to innovate.
From the first adult film shot on video in Europe to our concept store, and all the way through VHS, CD-ROMs, VOD, VR, podcasts—we’ve made bold choices. In 2010, we produced Mademoiselle de Paris, the first crowdfunded X-rated film. More recently, collaborations like the one with Bleu Mode show our commitment to artistic exploration.
But maybe the boldest thing we’ve done is to treat pleasure seriously—to bring rigor to eroticism, without cynicism or vulgarity. And to keep doing that, year after year.
