Couture or not couture?
Couture is the most misused word related to fashion in modern English. Once in a while, I come across couture cosmetics, couture tiles, nails, etc. It sounds fancy, does not it? Until you find out the real meaning of it. Couture from French means sewing. English meaning is the business of designing, making, and selling fashionable custom-made clothing; the designers and establishments engaged in couture; the clothes created by couture (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). As you can tell nothing relates to beauty, spa, or interior design.
Another popular term that yields 8.1 million tags on Instagram is Haute Couture /ˌōt ko͞oˈto͝or/, which means high sewing or high fashion. It is the highest form of dressmaking, regulated by Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. This word combination is protected by French law and cannot be used by any fashion house. Only the members of the Chambre can qualify to be called haute couture and to present them during the Paris Fashion Week if they meet certain requirements. There are currently 15 permanent members, 9 correspondent members, and about 100 guest members. In order to become a member, the fashion houses have to have a “workroom in Paris with at least 15 full-time workers, to present a collection of at least 35 designs twice a year” (Source). In addition, the garment itself needs to be made by hand and custom-fitted to a client.
The cost of the haute couture pieces can range from $10,000 and up to $500,000 per item. It consists of sourcing of raw materials, fabrics and notion production (linings, buttons), embellishments (embroidery, beading, etc), construction (some garments take thousands of hours to make), toiles (samples), marketing (fashion shows, promo items, packaging), any changes to design based on clients measurements, logistics (shipping). Needless to say that there are not many people who can afford it, namely about 0.01% of the world population. As you can tell from the prices of garments, it is very expensive to run an haute couture house. Nowadays this category is mostly a part of the bigger marketing agenda of the company. These fashion brands survive thanks to the prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) lines, bags, perfumes, beauty sales. If you buy a bottle of perfume from one of these brands, you are contributing to haute couture.
The history of Haute Couture goes back to Charles Frederick Worth, whose designs and grasp of business made him famous in Paris. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, dressing up and changing ensembles several times a day was still a norm. The industrial revolution led to the appearance of mass production, and coinciding historical events transformed the styles to more practical. Less and less people found the need to have a massive wardrobe for different kinds of occasions. Many of them could not afford to do so either. The purpose of haute couture now is to preserve the savoir-faire of dressmaking. As a result, the work of Chambre Syndicale and La Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has become even more important.
One of the leading houses in haute couture is Chanel. My absolute favorite show was Fall/Winter 2016 when Karl Lagerfeld invited the atelier workers on the runway. In French, the people who create this kind of work are called the “les petites mains” (little hands). In addition to the ateliers that Chanel owns, the brand also supports workshops through the Paraffection subsidiary. These firms have been the leaders of their craft for many centuries. They specialize in feathers (Lemarié), millinery (Michel), embroidery (Lesage, Montex, Lanel), buttons (Desrues), shoemakers (Massaro), jewelry, and accessories (Causse, Goossens, Guillet), knitwear (Barrie), and pleating (Lognon). In addition to couture shows, Chanel holds a special Metiers d’Arts (Pre-fall) event once a year to highlight these individual ateliers. They are all now located under one roof at 19M, a 270,000 sq ft (25,000m²) space north of Paris.
If you think that haute couture is unachievable, the good news is that all these ateliers are independent. They produce for other houses, have their own online stores, and also have educational courses. For example, Maison Michel sells headpieces on its website that start from $500. The house of Lesage has a school that raises a new generation of beaders and teaches different levels of Luneville embroidery. Haute couture specialization will take 150 hours and set you back about €6,600. I am going to write a separate article on hand embellishment techniques and the uniqueness of embroidery at Lesage.
Fashion and dressmaking evolve and cannot be monopolized. Other brands that are not members also create beautiful handmade garments using couture techniques. The price point is in between ready-to-wear and haute couture. A separate category that was originally introduced by Vionett is called demi-couture. The clothing is made in the above-mentioned ateliers or outsourced to Eastern Europe, Latin America, or Asia to preserve the unique craft of those regions and save on production costs. These houses are Alexander McQueen, Valentino RTW, Balenciaga, Balmain, Schiapparelli (the latter two are now haute couture members). An e-commerce store Matches Fashion even highlighted designers that produced sustainable clothing under a “new wave” category.
It should be noted that the word “handmade” has also been applied loosely these days. Companies that produce in small batches call their work handmade. Sometimes it is also used as an excuse for inconsistent quality in production. Anything that is sewn or knit, using machinery is not handmade, on the contrary, if it is stitched by hand, then it is truly handmade.
The future of haute couture is exciting, because I, as an advocate for digital fashion, see it being included very soon. Fédération invites designers with notable work to present during couture fashion week in Paris. Iris Van Herpen, who is known for her futuristic designs using 3D printing, unconventional materials, and other technological advancements has been presenting couture work since the spring 2011 season. This summer the Federation invited American label Pyer Moss to present a fall collection. I can see digital couture becoming a part of this tradition in the near future.
Modeliere