It’s come to our attention that couture’s confusing.
Clothes don’t earn the label just because they debut in Paris, or because they walk a runway on Lara Stone’s back, or because they cost an obscene amount of money. To design couture, to become a couturier, one must be certified by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and follow these rules:
- Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
- Have an atelier in Paris that employs at least 15 people full-time.
- Each season present a collection comprised of at least 35 looks for both day and night.
Though the first couturier, Charles Frederick Worth, was a Brit, the following Parisians and French houses are the only certified couturiers: Adeline André, Anne Valérie Hash, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Dominique Sirop, Franck Sorbier, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maurizio Galante and Stéphane Rolland. There are four correspondent members: Elie Saab, Giorgio Armani, Maison Martin Margiela and Valentino, and a rotating list of guest designers.
What else does it take to make couture? The details of Chanel’s Spring/Summer collection, after the jump.
Yesterday Karl Lagerfeld sent 65 looks down his runway at 31 Rue Cambon. Chanel sent out a release this morning with all the details:
“NEON BAROQUE” COLLECTION
CHANEL, Spring Summer 2010 Haute-Couture
THE COLLECTION
- Fabrics: satin, tweed, lace, chiffon and tulle
- Colors: pastel and acid tones, silver lamé
- Buttons: mercury color, shiny chrome
- Finishings: “Hidden” seams. It takes 3 hours to hand-stitch these seams along one meter of fabric. To make the “hidden seams” of some pieces took 35 hours of work in the atelier.
Silver threads or silver paint on embroidered satin
Silver stucco effect for the baroque touch
Certain dresses are adorned with 80 buttons
Sleeves and hems trimmed with tulle
- Stockings: oily, silver effect
- Hairstyles: “heart” hairstyle
- Music: electronic and synthetic rock recalling the neon lights
- Decor: “Aluminum box”
1000 square meters of aluminum for the floor, benches and columns
Floor: finished with a layer of aluminum
1200 square meters of aluminum colored fabric for the ceiling and walls
25 columns covered with neon tubes (4200 tubes) in mauve, pink, yellow, green and off white
650 meters of chrome colored fabric for the couches
500 people worked on the project
SOME EXAMPLES
- Wedding dress and cape: 1300 hours of work in total
Cape: 200 meters of tulle and silk crèpeline (800 hours of work)
Dress: satin and chiffon (190 hours of work) embroidered by the Maison LESAGE (350 hours of work)
- Look 37, “grenade” cape: 700 hours of work in total
Entirely made by the Maison LEMARIE. Round pieces of pink satin and chiffon sewn one on top of the other.
- Look 22, dress and jacket made of more than 13,000 satin flowers (made by the Maison LESAGE)
MASSARO / SHOEMAKER
- 70 pairs of short platform boots in mercury/bright silver color. More than 30 hours of
work for certain pairs.
- Materials: leather, lizard, python and eel skin
- Heels: “sculpted” or “rock-work” heels
LESAGE / EMBROIDERER
- Collaborated on the making of 12 looks
- Color: mercury/bright silver
- Materials: sequins, crystals, pearls and strass
- Embroideries: on lace, chiffon or satin
- Wedding gown: sequins, pearls and crystals embroidered on the front, sleeves and back of the dress. 350 hours of work in the ateliers of the Maison Lesage.
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Thanks for the info. Now I know what kind of clothes that is worth to called a couture. Thanks to Karl Lagerfeld too who has recorded every hour he spent to make this gorgeous ‘couture’.
This is briliant! I’m linking it to smudgestyle.com for my couture make up post on Friday.
Thx!
This is briliant! I’m linking it to smudgestyle.com for my couture make up post on Friday.
Thx!
This is briliant! I’m linking it to smudgestyle.com for my couture make up post on Friday.
Thx!
Love it!
Love it!
Love it!
Thanks, Britt for this informative post. It’s been said before, so many are unaware of the strict criterion of true couture.Thanks for bringing it to light.
House of Dereon has its place, to be sure, but it would be disappointing if they got couture designation solely on the basis of celebrity(sorry, my accent thingy doesn’t work).
There’s very little comparison between Dior and Dereon in the true sense of what constitutes couture.
I’m not hating, I just don’t see them in the same league.
Thanks, Britt for this informative post. It’s been said before, so many are unaware of the strict criterion of true couture.Thanks for bringing it to light.
House of Dereon has its place, to be sure, but it would be disappointing if they got couture designation solely on the basis of celebrity(sorry, my accent thingy doesn’t work).
There’s very little comparison between Dior and Dereon in the true sense of what constitutes couture.
I’m not hating, I just don’t see them in the same league.
Thanks, Britt for this informative post. It’s been said before, so many are unaware of the strict criterion of true couture.Thanks for bringing it to light.
House of Dereon has its place, to be sure, but it would be disappointing if they got couture designation solely on the basis of celebrity(sorry, my accent thingy doesn’t work).
There’s very little comparison between Dior and Dereon in the true sense of what constitutes couture.
I’m not hating, I just don’t see them in the same league.
lol!!! #24, you are 100% correct but I made that up when I read #2.
Don’t be so nice; you can hate all you want.
lol!!! #24, you are 100% correct but I made that up when I read #2.
Don’t be so nice; you can hate all you want.
lol!!! #24, you are 100% correct but I made that up when I read #2.
Don’t be so nice; you can hate all you want.
lol! #25. *blushes*
I guess I had a knee-jerk response to the past years of celebu-’designers’ who sweep into the world of design; believing they should be admitted to arenas they have little or no business being in.
Forgive my naivete.
lol! #25. *blushes*
I guess I had a knee-jerk response to the past years of celebu-’designers’ who sweep into the world of design; believing they should be admitted to arenas they have little or no business being in.
Forgive my naivete.
lol! #25. *blushes*
I guess I had a knee-jerk response to the past years of celebu-’designers’ who sweep into the world of design; believing they should be admitted to arenas they have little or no business being in.
Forgive my naivete.
PREACH ON!
This is exactly what the specifications for being a modern coutourier are!!
But a lighter (and still passable, imo) definition of couture is if an item is of the hghest quality and ALMOST ENTIRELY hand sewn. If it’s connecting seams are machine stitched, it’s zipper and buttons machine attached, it’s hem machine stitched, it’s appliques glued on…. it’s NOT COUTURE. I don’t care what designer label is in it!
On the contrary, a top quality item custom made by an expert seamstress who does the most all the work by hand qualifies as couture I think, regardless of her label (or lack thereof). Again, I emphasis the hand stitching, as if it’s all machine stitched it’s just bespoke : P.
As a vintage dealer I’m really irked by other dealers (of vintage and contemporary clothing alike) who abuse the term couture like crazy, applying it to any ol’ dress thats upscale. Doing so is false advertising, gives us all a bad name, and needs to be stopped.
Hopefully said offenders will find this article and take a hint.
PREACH ON!
This is exactly what the specifications for being a modern coutourier are!!
But a lighter (and still passable, imo) definition of couture is if an item is of the hghest quality and ALMOST ENTIRELY hand sewn. If it’s connecting seams are machine stitched, it’s zipper and buttons machine attached, it’s hem machine stitched, it’s appliques glued on…. it’s NOT COUTURE. I don’t care what designer label is in it!
On the contrary, a top quality item custom made by an expert seamstress who does the most all the work by hand qualifies as couture I think, regardless of her label (or lack thereof). Again, I emphasis the hand stitching, as if it’s all machine stitched it’s just bespoke : P.
As a vintage dealer I’m really irked by other dealers (of vintage and contemporary clothing alike) who abuse the term couture like crazy, applying it to any ol’ dress thats upscale. Doing so is false advertising, gives us all a bad name, and needs to be stopped.
Hopefully said offenders will find this article and take a hint.
PREACH ON!
This is exactly what the specifications for being a modern coutourier are!!
But a lighter (and still passable, imo) definition of couture is if an item is of the hghest quality and ALMOST ENTIRELY hand sewn. If it’s connecting seams are machine stitched, it’s zipper and buttons machine attached, it’s hem machine stitched, it’s appliques glued on…. it’s NOT COUTURE. I don’t care what designer label is in it!
On the contrary, a top quality item custom made by an expert seamstress who does the most all the work by hand qualifies as couture I think, regardless of her label (or lack thereof). Again, I emphasis the hand stitching, as if it’s all machine stitched it’s just bespoke : P.
As a vintage dealer I’m really irked by other dealers (of vintage and contemporary clothing alike) who abuse the term couture like crazy, applying it to any ol’ dress thats upscale. Doing so is false advertising, gives us all a bad name, and needs to be stopped.
Hopefully said offenders will find this article and take a hint.
Hi Lauren! I suffered from the same issue for years (with many of the same fragrances) until I discovered Kai. Now I don’t leave the house without it!
go back to ck one lauren! i just did (at first to be ironic, before realizing it’s shamefully economical).
that crisp, androgynous scent is perfect for day-to-day and you know it.
Oliver, I might just do that!
Lauren, I looove your writing.
These perfumes are divine! Ever since my first whiff of them, I’ve been obsessed with finding my own signature scent. I’ve been living in samples of 1725 and I smelled a brand new one over the weekend that is absolutely heavenly. Did you try 1873? A little rough at first, but after about an hour…wow. We had to do a post about it.
http://tinyurl.com/ygrasnf
anthropologie also sells them!! i love these scents…
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=993319&navAction;=jump&search;=true&parentid;=SEARCH_RESULTS
Carla – the new scent you sniffed over the weekend was Moulin Rouge…that and the new tuberose trio! delicious.
ukbaby…no sign of Histoires on Anthropology…have you actually seen them in the shop? curious.
i’m a freak for economics and fashion… i’m so glad to see things like this.
sorry? what? mj has banned celebrities from his front row? since when? he loves celebrities. like andy warhol, he has a band of superstars. and every season he has two to three people that he is just so jazzed to get to see his show he spends the final days of fittings talking about it. and front row staples: kim gordon, donald trump, terry richardson, anna sui (celeb in my book), vincent gallo, rz, helena chrisetensen and michelle trachtenberg.
Do celebrities ever just want to see a show? What if I was a celebrity and simply wanted to go to Marc’s show? Would I get paid?
Do celebrities ever just want to see a show? What if I was a celebrity and simply wanted to go to Marc’s show? Would I get paid?
This is amazing. It truly is fashion weeks slightly dirty little secret. Exposed..
This is amazing. It truly is fashion weeks slightly dirty little secret. Exposed..
(Though not everyone has to pay for a celeb to be front row…)
(Though not everyone has to pay for a celeb to be front row…)
Lindsay Lohan circa 2010;UNINVITED
Lmao.
Lindsay Lohan circa 2010;UNINVITED
Lmao.
ya except perez hilton sat front row at marc jacobs’ spring10 show…so…pathetic.
ya except perez hilton sat front row at marc jacobs’ spring10 show…so…pathetic.
Great post!! But mj still gets celebrities, don’t they? Sofia Coppola, Winona Ryder…
Great post!! But mj still gets celebrities, don’t they? Sofia Coppola, Winona Ryder…
haha Lindsey Lohan- uninvited. Gotta love it.
Poor J.Lo dropped down by 50,000 in 5 years.
I do find it unbelievable the amount these celebs are paid to attend these shows. Shouldn’t free entrance be enough since they are not in the fashion industry at all technically. They already receive free merchandise, which is covered by magazines and websites galore.
Its prestigious enough to sit in the front row. Don’t you agree?
perhaps if they didn’t have to pay these celebs so much, the cost of clothing might less expensive? Just a thought.
-XOS-
http://www.avicariousstyle.blogspot.com
haha Lindsey Lohan- uninvited. Gotta love it.
Poor J.Lo dropped down by 50,000 in 5 years.
I do find it unbelievable the amount these celebs are paid to attend these shows. Shouldn’t free entrance be enough since they are not in the fashion industry at all technically. They already receive free merchandise, which is covered by magazines and websites galore.
Its prestigious enough to sit in the front row. Don’t you agree?
perhaps if they didn’t have to pay these celebs so much, the cost of clothing might less expensive? Just a thought.
-XOS-
http://www.avicariousstyle.blogspot.com
what about sophia bush? she’s at EVERYTHING. I’d guess b/c of her relationship w/ max, she’d do his shows for free, but what about carolina herrera, etc?
I doubt Carolina would shell out money for a Sophia Bush.
Does Palermo get paid these days?
I doubt Carolina would shell out money for a Sophia Bush.
Does Palermo get paid these days?
This is incredibly interesting!! You would never have to pay me to see a fashion show…even if I were a celebrity I think I would want to go just because I appreciate the designer.
http://meggasus.blogspot.com/
This is incredibly interesting!! You would never have to pay me to see a fashion show…even if I were a celebrity I think I would want to go just because I appreciate the designer.
http://meggasus.blogspot.com/
@Lisa
Sophia Bush falls into the Eliza Dushku/Kristen Bell group. She doesn’t get paid, but she does get free clothes, airfare, etc.
@Lisa
Sophia Bush falls into the Eliza Dushku/Kristen Bell group. She doesn’t get paid, but she does get free clothes, airfare, etc.
Where do you get your data?