What is Haute Couture?
Haute Couture is a French term for high fashion. Couture means dressmaking,
sewing, or needlework and haute means elegant or high, so the two combined imply
excellent design with the fashioning of garments. The purchase of a haute
couture model garment is at the top level of hand customised fashion design and
clothing creation made by a couture design house. A model haute couture garment
is made specifically for the wearer's measurements and body type. These made to
measure exclusive clothes are virtually made by hand, carefully fitted to
perfection for each client.
The labor involved to produce a garment this
way takes between up to one hundred and fifty hours for a suit and up to one
thousand hours for a lavish evening dress. To be called a haute couture house, a
business must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris, which
is regulated by the French Department of Industry. Members must employ 15 or
more people and present their collections twice a year. Each presentation must
include at least 35 separate outfits for day and eveningwear. The syndicate has
about 18 members, including such fashion giants as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior,
and Pierre Cardin. The houses generate more than $1 billion in annual sales and
employ close to 5,000 people, including 2,200 seamstresses. Workers often
specialize in one area, such as feathers, fabric, buttons, shoes, etc. Before
World War II, 35,000 people worked at couture houses.
Today only 2,000
women in the world buy couture clothes; 60% are American. Only 200 are regular
customers. Often, designers will loan clothes to movie stars or other public
figures for publicity.