Stylish Thoughts on… Haute Couture
29 Jan
Givenchy, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel Haute Couture Shows
Couture is the crown jewel in the tiara of fashion. It’s the piece de resistance, the nail in the veritable branding coffin. Haute couture shows the craftmanship behind a house, the creativity brewing within and the free-flowing of new ideas. But it also comes with hefty price tags and most pieces never see the light of day. In our near crumbling economy, does couture have a well-heeled leg to stand on or is it as outdated as last season’s latex leggings?
In her 2000 book The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever Teri Agins spelled the death of couture and fashion as we know it. While couture has yet to go katput, Agins predictions were not totally unjustified. In this day and age, the need for a “haute couture” custom-fitted gown or suit has been nearly eliminated, besides the ones who can afford a 50,000 dollar custom-made dress are outside of the norm.
The couture shows are happening at the moment and it makes me wonder, beside the pomp and circumstance and beautiful eye candy, what is the point of these shows and will couture survive? Admist of financial meltdowns, haute couture seems frivolous and in downright bad taste. However, while parading the world’s most expensive dresses seems counter-productive it is the way of fashion to keep going when everything else seems to fall around it.
Christian Lacroix, Elie Saab, Anne Valerie Hash, Dominique Sirop
And it is this precise reason that the couture shows must go on. While it’s been a bloodbath for new designers and fashion upstarts, with store and company closings, haute couture has survived for more than 150 years when Englishman Charles Fredrick Worth created its first gowns. It is the luxury of couture that pushes the fashion of the masses to continue and inspires the simple luxury that we can experience in our own world.
Sure, you and I may never be able to afford a couture dress, but the ideas trickle down to the masses and what’s shown on the couture runways in Paris inspire the fashion that you and I can actually afford. Yes, couture is totally frivolous and unnecessary, so are many things in fashion and the world. But do I think that the current state of the world will put an end to its tradition, no. Do I think that couturiers and ateliers should take in account current affairs when presenting collections, of course.
In the meantime, I am enjoying the collections from century old fashion houses and young ateliers alike. What do you think of haute couture?
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I couldn’t even begin to aspire to owning a pret a porter item from most fashion houses, let alone Haute Couture, but I think it’s essential to keep the industry moving. Styles from the couture shows filter down to the high street and that’s what keeps fashion such a fast paced, changing and vibrant industry.
I think without Couture the High Street fashion chains would find their business affected much worse by the economic climate as there would be nothing to aspire to.
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Haute COuture is fire!
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as long as the lipstick and perfume sells there will be couture shows!!
but i read an article once that the couture shows arent truly done for profit, they are more for show. but i think there will always be the couture client, there are the more famous clients like danielle steele and daphne guinness, but i suspect more of the couture client is more discreet, dont want to be photographed by the press.
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@ Retro Chick: I couldn’t agree more. I can barely afford ready-to-wear, but the couture shows are pure magic and a definite inspiration for fashion
@ Tasha: It is FIRE!!!
@ pret a porter p: The couture shows are pure show. I agree that “rich” or “well-off” people will always buy couture. It will never die.
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