Haute Couture

• DEFINITION: In French means "high sewing" or

"high dressmaking"; or refers to the creation of
exclusive custom-fitted clothing.
• It is MADE TO ORDER for a specific customer
and is made from high-quality, expensive fabric
and sewn with extreme attention to detail and
finish, often using time-consuming, hand-
executed techniques.
• It implies excellent artistry with the fashioning of
garments.
 Origin of Haute Couture
• ORIGIN: The first couturier was
Englishman Charles Frederick Worth, in
Paris in the mid 19th century.
• In modern France, haute couture is a
"protected name" that can be used only
by firms that meet certain well-defined
standards. However, the term is also
used loosely to describe all high-fashion
custom-fitted clothing, whether it is
produced in Paris or in other fashion
capitals such as Milan, London, Rome,
Florence, New York and Tokyo.
• The term refers to: the fashion houses or
fashion designers that create exclusive
and often trend-setting fashions
 History of Haute Couture
• Dates to the 18th century when the art, architecture, music, and fashions of the
French court at Versailles were imitated across Europe. Visitors to Paris brought
back clothing that was then copied by local dressmakers. Stylish women also
ordered fashion dolls from Paris -- dolls dressed in the latest Parisian fashions,
to serve as models.
• As railroads and steamships made European travel easier, it was increasingly
common for wealthy women to travel to Paris to shop for clothing and
accessories. French fitters and seamstresses were commonly thought to be the
best in Europe, and real Parisian garments were considered better than local
imitations.
• To establish international dominance was Charles Frederick Worth (1826-1895.)
Even New York socialites crossed the Atlantic Ocean to order clothes from
Worth.
• Following Worth's footsteps were: Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin,
Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, and Dior.
• Some of these fashion houses still exist today, under the leadership of modern
designers. In the 1960s a group of young designers who had trained under men
like Dior and Balenciaga left these established couture houses and opened their
own establishments.
• The most successful of these young men were Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre
Cardin, Andre Courreges, and Emmanuel Ungaro. Lacroix is perhaps the most
successful of the fashion houses to have been started in the last decade.
• Christian Lacroix, Dior, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier Pierre Balmain, and
Valentino
• In France, the label "haute couture" is a protected appellation (term).
• Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture: The main criteria, set
forth in 1945 and updated in 1992, are as follows: to employ a
minimum of fifteen people at the workshops, to present to the press
in Paris each season (spring/summer and autumn/winter) a
collection of at least thirty-five runs consisting of models for daytime
wear and evening wear.
• A list of eligible houses is made official every year by the French
Ministry of Industry. The haute couture houses belong to the
professional union the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
• The French term for ready-to-wear (not custom fitted) fashion is
prêt-à-porter.
• Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections,
which typically delivers a higher return on investment than their
custom clothing (Failing revenues have forced a few couture houses
to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate
solely on the less prestigious prêt-à-porter. These houses are no longer haute
couture).
 Haute Couture Fashion House –
Do’s and Don’ts
• For all these fashion houses, custom clothing is no
longer the main source of income; it only adds the aura
of fashion to the ready-to-wear, shoes and perfumes,
and licensing ventures that make the real money.
• The 1960s also featured a revolt against established
fashion standards by mods, rockers, and hippies, as well
as an increasing internationalization of the fashion
scene. Jet travel had spawned a jet set that partied --
and shopped -- just as happily in New York as in Paris.
Rich women no longer felt that a Paris dress was
necessarily better than one sewn elsewhere. While Paris
is still pre-eminent in the fashion world, it is no longer the
sole arbiter of fashion.
 The Designer’s Work???
• Designers create their initial designs either by
using muslin, which drapes well for flowing
designs or by using linen canvas or calico for
more structured garments such as tailored
garments.
• These sample models are called toiles and save
using very expensive fabrics that can cost a
£100 or more a metre.
• The toile can be manipulated, marked and
adjusted to fit a particular live model's
measurements until the designer and his sale
staff are all satisfied.
Pierre Balmain
Vionnet – Bias Queen
Givenchy
Valentino
Dior
Gaulti Galliano For Dior Gaulti
Emanuel Ungaro
Christian
Modern Day Haute Couture