I got a Design Offer of a HandBag in Exclusive Deal, Made to Order, similar to Haute Couture, that's why I'd like to explain a bit of Haute Couture on my blog.
Haute couture in French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" refers to the creation of exclusive Custom-Fitted Clothing.
Haute Couture is made to order for a specific Customer, and it is usually made from High-Quality, Expensive Fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.
The term can refer to:
(1) The fashion houses or Fashion Designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions
(2) The fashions created
Haute Couture, I often find that it is a sector of the fashion industry that is often most misunderstood.
The term haute couture is controlled by France’s governing body of fashion, La Fédération Française de la Couture.
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Chanel Haute Couture Spring Summer 2010 |
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Christian Dior haute Couture Spring Summer 2007: Probably my favourite catwalk collection ever Exquisite |
Haute Couture was a much bigger industry in the 50s and 60s, when most wealthy people bought Haute Couture. Luxury ready to wear didn’t really exist at the time, and Haute Couture was somewhat more affordable. Brands also made money by charging American buyers from mass market brands upwards of US$3,000 to attend the Haute Couture shows. They would sketch all the designs as they came down the catwalk, and go back to the States and make cheap copies. That all changed when Yves Saint Laurent opened his Rive Gauche Store, which was considered to be the first luxury ready to wear brand. Nowadays the luxury fashion market is dominated by ready to wear, Haute Couture makes up a very small portion of the market.
(1) You must design made-to-order clothing for clients
(2) You must have at least 15 people employed in a Paris workshop (or atelier)
(3) You must present two collections a year to the press, comprising of day and evening wear (the collections must have a minimum of 35 outfits.)
(2) You must have at least 15 people employed in a Paris workshop (or atelier)
(3) You must present two collections a year to the press, comprising of day and evening wear (the collections must have a minimum of 35 outfits.)
- Adeline André
- Anne Valérie Hash
- Chanel
- Christian Dior
- Dominique Sirop
- Franck Sorbier
- Givenchy
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Maurizio Galante
- Stéphane Rolland
Haute couture is shown in
January (for the spring summer collections)
July (for the Fall Winter collections.)
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Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Fall Winter 2009, his last show |
The audience of the shows include the usual fashion journalists, but unlike ready-to-wear, it also includes a lot of the clients, who then make appointments in the salon and choose the pieces they want to buy.
Each piece is made to measure for the client, and there can be usually be about 1 to 5 fittings during the making of an haute couture garment. Established customers will have mannequins made to suit their body, as most haute couture garments are draped directly onto the mannequin. The techniques used are sublime, using primarily hand techniques, and that is why the prices can start from US$20,000 for a day dress to US$60,000 for an evening dress, although the sky is the limit when it comes to beading and embroidery.
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Armani Privé Fall Winter 2007 |
“Clients who place orders must understand that it may take up to four months to construct a dress. Take one in particular, a 1920s-Inspired Gown Made of Dove Grey Chiffon. Decorated with delicate metal decals and a beaded fringe, it carries more than 50,000 Swarovski crystal beads, and took more than 150 man hours to assemble. It’s priced accordingly, at around US$90,000″
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Valentino Haute Couture Spring Summer 2008, his last collection |
Anyone wishing to start their own haute couture brand should think again, its not easy to meet the requirements. Newcomers, like Alexis Mabille (who is a guest member,) were only accepted because the regulations were relaxed to encourage new brands to join.
Anyone wishing to work in an Haute Couture Atelier should definitely consider doing the course at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, because it is one of the few schools that teaches the techniques of haute couture construction.
This is definitely not for someone who is not interested in “the details.
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Mr R, thanks so much, you are writing something really meaningful on my Career Proven Track, xx
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