Haute couture
Haute couture (
Terminology
In France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the
In response to the
- design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings;
- have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen staff members full-time;
- have at least 20 full-time technical people, in at least one workshop (atelier); and
- present a collection of at least 50 original designs to the public every fashion season (twice, in January and July of each year), of both day and evening garments.
The term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion, custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in the fashion capitals of New York City, Paris, and Milan. In either case, the term can refer to the fashion houses or fashion designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions or to the fashions created. The term haute couture has also taken on further popular meanings referring to non-dressmaking activities, such as production of fine art and music.[8]
History in France
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2015) |
Haute couture can be referenced back as early as the 17th century.[9] Industry and consumption were legally protected through guild statutes that required strict adherence to quality, quantity, etc. Women dressmakers, known as couturières, attained guild privileges in 1675. Their guild statutes made it so these women acquired the rights to make clothing for women and children, while male tailors retained the right to make clothing for men and boys over the age of 8. Within this empire, the couturières' work ranged from simple mending, to modes (fashions). They performed darning and alterations, and also made fine dresses of luxurious fabric for members of the royal family and aristocracy. Seamstresses were only one part of this complex network and process, and included domestic manufacture, imported products, and work alongside guilds such as the lacemakers, ribbonmakers, fashion merchants, embroiderers, pin and needle peddlers, etc.[10] Seamstresses did not operate public shops, unlike tailors, but instead relied on word of mouth and connections to procure high-end clientele.[11]
18th century France witnessed a dramatic rise in clothing consumption, and scholars have documented a "clothing revolution" that occurred between 1700 and 1789. This was characterized by the increased size and value of wardrobes across the country, even among the middling and working classes. The fashion industry sprang to life to meet increasing demand.[12]
Rose Bertin, the French fashion designer to Queen Marie Antoinette, can be credited for bringing fashion and haute couture to French culture.[13] Visitors to Paris brought back clothing that was then copied by local dressmakers. Stylish women also ordered dresses in the latest Parisian fashion 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 dressmakers were commonly thought to be the best in Europe, and real Parisian garments were considered better than local imitations.[14][citation needed]
A couturier (French: [ku.ty.ʁje]) is an establishment or person involved in the clothing fashion industry who makes original garments to order for private clients. A couturier may make what is known as haute couture.[15] Such a person usually hires patternmakers and machinists for garment production, and is either employed by exclusive boutiques or is self-employed.[citation needed]
The couturier Charles Frederick Worth is widely considered the father of haute couture as it is known today.[16][17] Although born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England, Worth made his mark in the French fashion industry.[2] Revolutionizing how dressmaking had been previously perceived, Worth made it so the dressmaker became the artist of garnishment: a fashion designer. While he created one-of-a-kind designs to please some of his titled or wealthy customers, he is best known for preparing a portfolio of designs that were shown on live models at the House of Worth. Clients selected one model, specified colours and fabrics, and had a duplicate garment tailor-made in Worth's workshop. Worth combined individual tailoring with a standardization more characteristic of the ready-to-wear clothing industry, which was also developing during this period.
Following in Worth's footsteps were Callot Soeurs, Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin, Chanel, Mainbocher, 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
For all these fashion houses, custom clothing is no longer the main source of income, often costing much more than it earns through direct sales; it only adds the aura of fashion to their ventures in ready-to-wear clothing and related
Members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture
Official members
- Adeline André
- Alexandre Vauthier
- Alexis Mabille
- Bouchra Jarrar
- Chanel
- Dior
- Franck Sorbier
- Giambattista Valli
- Givenchy
- Jean-Paul Gaultier
- Julien Fournié
- Maison Margiela
- Maurizio Galante
- Schiaparelli
- Stéphane Rolland[21]
Correspondent members (foreign)
- Armani
- Elie Saab
- Fendi
- Iris Van Herpen
- Ulyana Sergeenko
- Valentino
- Versace
- Viktor & Rolf
Guest members
- Aelis
- Ashi Studio
- Balenciaga
- Charles de Vilmorin
- Christophe Josse
- Gaurav Gupta
- Georges Hobeika
- Imane Ayissi
- Juana Martín
- Julie de Libran
- Peet Dullaert
- Rabih Kayrouz
- Rahul Mishra
- Robert Wun
- Ronald van der Kemp
- Sara Chraibi
- Thom Browne
- Yuima Nakazato
- Zuhair Murad
Recent guest members have included the fashion houses of Cathy Pill, Gerald Watelet , Nicolas Le Cauchois[22] and Ma Ke (Wuyong).[23] In the 2008/2009 Fall/Winter Haute Couture week, Emanuel Ungaro showed as an Official Member.
Former members
- Anne Valérie Hash
- Cristóbal Balenciaga
- Callot Soeurs
- Charles Montaigne
- Marie-Louise Carven
- Christian Lacroix
- Emilio Pucci
- Escada
- Frank Sorbier
- Germaine Lecomte
- Grès
- Guy Laroche
- Hanae Mori
- Jacques Fath
- Jacques Griffe
- Jacques Heim
- Jean Patou
- Jean-Louis Scherrer
- Joseph
- Lanvin
- Lecoanet Hemant
- Loris Azzaro
- Louis Féraud
- Lucien Lelong
- Louise Chéruit
- Mad Carpentier
- Madeleine Vionnet
- Madeleine Vramant
- Maggy Rouff
- Mainbocher
- Marcel Rochas
- Marcelle Chaumont
- Nina Ricci
- Patrick Kelly
- Paco Rabanne
- Paul Poiret
- Philippe et Gaston
- Pierre Balmain
- Pierre Cardin
- Robert Piguet
- Ted Lapidus
- Thierry Mugler
- Torrente
- Vera Borea
- Yiqing Yin
- Yves Saint Laurent
Fabrics
Silk
Wool
See also
References
- The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ a b Kelly, Lakenya (4 February 2017). "What Does Couture Mean – Definition and French Translation". The Dapifer. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ "What is Haute Couture". The Odd Portrait. 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ "What is Haute Couture?". Haute Couture News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ a b Thomas, Pauline Weston. "Chambre Syndicale History and Development – Fashion History". Fashion-Era. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-5636-7235-4.
- ^ "Bloomsbury Fashion Central -". www.bloomsburyfashioncentral.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- ^ "Wuyong – Dancing In A Haute Couture Debut | The Fashion Blog". Fashion-blog.us. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-8478-8563-0.
- ^ Crowston, Clare (2001). Fabricating women: the seamstresses of Old Regime France, 1675-1791. Duke University Press. pp. 2–3.
- ^ Crowston, Clare. Fabricating women: the seamstresses of Old Regime France, 1675-1791. pp. 138-143
- ^ Crowston, Clare (2001). Fabricating women: the seamstresses of Old Regime France, 1675-1791. Duke University Press.
- ISBN 978-1-5636-7539-3.
- ^ "French Fashion - Free Essays". www.essays24.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Merriam-Webster". 21 December 2023.
- ^ Shaeffer 2001, p. 12
- ISBN 978-1-8815-0880-9.
- ^ End of a fairytale: Christian Lacroix fashion house to strip down. The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2014
- ISBN 978-1-118-17176-9.
- ^ Meltzer, Marisa (19 September 2013). "Get Me Wardrobe!". The New York Times. p. E1.
- ^ "Haute Couture". Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
- ^ "Haute-Couture Spring Summer 2008 Definitive schedule". Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
- ^ "Haute-Couture Fall Winter 2008/2009 Definitive schedule". Archived from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2008.
- ^ "Silk in Antiquity". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ a b "silk | Definition & History". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ OCLC 911180187.
- ^ "Wool | animal fibre". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ "The History of British Wool". www.sheepcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
Bibliography
- Lynam, Ruth (ed.) Couture: An Illustrated History of the Great Paris Designers and their Creations (Doubleday & Co., 1972)
- Shaeffer, Claire B. (2001). Couture Sewing Techniques. Newtown, Connecticut: ISBN 978-1-5615-8497-0.
External links
- Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode official website Archived 8 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine