In an earlier blog post, I discussed my love for gorgeous gowns. That love is fueled not only by Pinterest, but by the couture houses that create these gowns. Funnily enough, Haute Couture Week has just passed and I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite pieces.
What is Haute Couture?
Its literal translation is high dressmaking, but it’s really about creating high quality one of a kind garments for private clients. To be qualified as a haute couture house by the the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture members must design custom pieces for private clients with more than one fitting using an atelier that employs at least 15 full time staff. There must also be 20 full time technical workers in one of their workshops as well. Additionally, they are required to present at least fifty original designs in the months of January and July. As you can imagine, becoming a member is extremely difficult and to continue being a member house
How does it influence the fashion industry?
To me, haute couture week is the beginning of the season when it comes to fashion. The styles and ideas presented during this week slowly trickle down the fashion industry.
It reminds me of a very iconic scene in the Devil Wears Prada. Miranda informs and belittles Andy that the color of her sweater represents “millions of dollars and countless jobs”. Though it may seem a little extreme, it’s true. A lot of the mass market brands like Zara and H&M take inspiration from ready to wear brands like Acne Studios and Prada, who take inspiration from haute couture houses like Zuhair Murad and Iris Van Herpen. It’s not that these brands are intentionally stealing elements from other brands. Fashion just has a way of circulating around and infiltrating the minds of designers.
My Favorite Looks from this Year
***All photo credits go to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.****
Anyways, though haute couture is less known among the masses, it has such an immense impact on the entire fashion industry. It reminds us that fashion is much more than the latest trends. Fashion is about creating art.
Thank you all for reading this week’s post. I hope you all learned a little more about Haute Couture and found it even just a little interesting. Make sure to subscribe to be notified of new posts. Stay Sharp 😉