Haute Couture
French. Literally 'High Sewing'
Haute Couture or high fshion refers to clothes that meet the standards of the French Ministry of Industry and the Fédération Française de la Couture (French Fedaration of Couture). Therefore, you can't just say a garment or outfit is high fashion if the said groups didn't say so. This is because haute couture takes so much time, money and effort to do.
Valentino Spring/Summer 2013 The garments are made-to-oder for specific clients, make use of high quality fabrics, are hand-made, and have very detailed sewing techniques. Because they are so expensive to make, they are also sold at a very high price. Haute Couture garments start at £8,000, and it's priced higher for evening and formal wear. Fashion houses do not get that much profit from it, but apparently it doesn't matter. I would say that haute couture is only for the designers to show off their artistry and wealth.
Theses are the criteria for fashion houses or couturiers to call their works Haute Couture:
Theses are the criteria for fashion houses or couturiers to call their works Haute Couture:
- They must design made-to-order clothing for private clients, with one or more fittings.
- They must have a full-time atelier (workshop) in Paris that employs at least 20 staff members.
- Must have twenty, full-time technical people in at least one atelier.
- Every season, they must present a collection of at least 50 original designs to the public, both day and evening garments, in January and July of each year for the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
Since the rules are very specific, there are only a few Haute Couture houses or couturiers listed as part of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Some of them are:
1. Jean-Paul Gaultier
This flamboyant French fashion designer is part of the few elite fashion houses in Paris. His personality shows in his eccentric, intricate, and sometimes freakish avante garde collections.
2. House of Chanel
Aside from being famous for Chanel No. 5, the elite fashion house is also known for their very elegant and timeless designs that are often in the colors of gold, white and black. Their designs are clean and sophisticated. Thanks to Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel is one of Paris' finest couturiers.
3. Giambattista Valli
This Italian man produces some of the finest gowns I have ever seen on the Paris Fashion Weeek. He focuses on the lines and silhouette of a woman and makes her body look beautiful. One way to describe his work is simple and intricate.
4. Maison Martin Margiela
This Belgian fashion designer was named, "fashion's very own J.D. Salinger" by style.com. This is for his unusual designs that are made up of equally unusual materials (eg. trash bags, car seats, ice). He is known for his bejeweled masks, probably a symbolysm of how his face was never shown to the public (except for that one time). This misfit couturier never fails to bring something fresh and exciting to the runway.
Dior Spring/Summer 2008
Although Haute Couture has declined in its yield for profit, it still remains a symbol of class and regality with its tight-knit circle of designers and buyers. High fashion definitely shows off opulence and pristine artistry.
- Kim Alivia xx
- Kim Alivia xx
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