Couture Clients

I love this photo of Christian Dior's Fall/Winter 2010. It's amazing to me how each Couturier is required to have 35 pieces, and 15 full time workers to make these shows happen.

According to The Independent, there are between 200 and 2000 couture clients in the world, and the president of Chanel, Bruno Pavlosky has seen a 30% increase in new clients all over the world.

It's hard to believe, with all that is happening in the world, but normally couture clients aren't the movie stars, they are the ones who move quietly. They may create an impact, but you would never know.

Christian Lacroix's Last Show

I want to talk about Christian Lacroix. I love the art of Haute Couture, but when I watched a show about the makings of his collection back in the nineties, I had even more respect for this art. Watching his staff weave a jacket from yarn to fabric to finish was amazing, and watching them sit in the front row of his couture show melted my heart.

Lacroix is a true couturier, who did it with passion and love. With this said, the last show was indeed a sad but memorable show. He found bolts of leftover fabric, the venue was donated to him for that day, his staff worked for free. This is true loyalty.

Revisiting Melania Trump's Wedding Gown

Here is a prime example of a true Haute Couture gown.
As previously noted, "Couture" is used loosely for many bridal houses. It's used to depict "High End" or "Designer". Here's my issue with it. And yes, it's an issue that I've never gotten over, ever since my apprenticeship in Paris 10 years ago.

Couture in America means
6 yards of Duchess Satin
Embroidery or crystal beadwork done by hand in India or China
Dress sewn by an industrial sewing machine in 8 hours give or take, not sure about the beadwork since it's outsourced
3 half hour fittings
1 seamstress, 1 fitter
$5000.00 price range

Couture as in Melania's gown means
98 yards of Duchess Satin making the gown 50 lbs
Hand embroidery encrusted with over 1500 crystal  rhinestones done in the House of Christian Dior
Over 1000 hours of work, with additional 550 hours for applying the rhinestones
4 fittings, 4 hours each
About 28 seamstresses
Cost is around $2,000,000

See the comparison? It's like calling a Mitsubishi Eclipse a Lamborghini. Just doesn't make sense.

Vogue Photoshoot

I Love Haute Couture

This blog is not associated with The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. But I do appreciate this art.
Haute Couture is not your wedding gown (unless it was designed by a design house, it is handmade and one of a kind) It should probably cost over $1,000,000.

Within The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, there are Official Members, Correspondent Members, Guest Members, Jewelry, and Accessories. It's an ordeal and I personally can't stand it when a brand calls their gown a "Couture" gown. They are all being made in a factory. It's an insult. It's like calling McDonald's a four star restaurant.

This year's Haute Couture shows didn't stand out to me. I think that it is a dying art, and I feel they are trying to stay alive by compromising their look to be similar to ready-to-wear.

This is why I am dedicating this site to Haute Couture. When I first went to Paris way back when, the main reason why I continue to be in fashion is Haute Couture. It's the heart of fashion, and a forgotten art.

I hope it doesn't start to go in the sportwear direction because then I will not have a blog anymore - or I'll have to go backwards and revisit all the old Haute Couture looks.

This year, by far, my favorite is Givenchy. I loved it during Hubert de Givenchy's time, and I love what Riccardo Tisci has done today.

Givenchy in the 1950's




Givenchy now Fall 2010/2011