Haute Couture Definition  Definitions for the Clothing & Textile Industry

Fashion  Haute Couture  Haute Couture Guide  Definition List   Fashion Industry News  Fashion Designers  Fashion Week  Fashion Designers  Haute Couture Term


Haute couture
(French for 'high sewing') is a common term for high fashion as produced in Paris and imitated in other fashion capitals such as New York, London, and Milan. Sometimes it is used only to refer to French fashion; at other times it refers to any unique stylish design made to order for wealthy and high-status clients.

The term can refer to:

In France, the label "haute couture" is a protected appellation. A certain number of formal criteria (number of employees, participation in fashion shows) must be met for a fashion house to use the label; a list of eligible houses is made official every year by the French Ministry of Industry. The haute couture houses belong to the professional union the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

The French term for ready-to-wear (not custom fitted) fashion is Pret-a-porter. Every haute couture house also markets Pret-a-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing. Failing revenues have forced a few couture houses to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate solely on the less prestigious Pret-a-porter. These houses are no longer haute couture.

History

French leadership in European fashion may perhaps be dated from the 18th century, when the art, architecture, music, and fashions of the French court at Versailles were imitated across Europe. Visitors to Paris brought back clothing that was then copied by local dressmakers. Stylish women also ordered fashion dolls from Paris -- dolls dressed in the latest Parisian fashions, 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 seamstresses were commonly thought to be the best in Europe, and real Parisian garments were considered better than local imitations. The first couturier to establish international dominance was Charles Frederick Worth (1826-1895.) Even New York socialites crossed the Atlantic Ocean to order clothes from Worth.

Following in Worth's footsteps were: Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin, Chanel, 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 designers who had trained under men like Dior and Balenciaga left these established couture houses and opened their own establishments. The most successful of these young men were Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Andre Courreges, and Emmanuel Ungaro.

Lacroix is perhaps the most successful of the fashion houses to have been started in the last decade.

Designer Definition Guide

Clothing & Fashion Industry Definitions
fabric & Textile Industry Definitions
Fashion Terms / Fashion History / Fashion Designers / Fashion Brands etc.
Dye & Dyeing Industry Terms
Embroidery & Embroidery Industry Terms
fibers & fiber Industry Definitions
Sewing Terms & Definitions
yarns & yarn Industry Definitions
Hat & Headwear Definitions
Footwear & Shoe Industry Definitions
Shipping Industry Freight Definitions
Miscellaneous Apparel Industry Terms
 

Designer Definition Guide

American Fashion Designers

Brand Name Designer Clothing List

For all these fashion houses, custom clothing is no longer the main source of income; it only adds the aura of fashion to the ready-to-wear, shoes and perfumes, and licensing ventures that make the real money. A house must be careful, however, not to push the profit-making too far. Cardin, for example, licensed with abandon in the 1980s and his name lost most of its fashionable cachet when anyone could buy Cardin luggage at a discount store.

The 1960s also featured a revolt against established fashion standards by mods, rockers, and hippies, as well as an increasing internationalization of the fashion scene. Jet travel had spawned a jet set that partied -- and shopped -- just as happily in New York as in Paris. Rich women no longer felt that a Paris dress was necessarily better than one sewn elsewhere. While Paris is still pre-eminent in the fashion world, it is no longer the sole arbiter of fashion.

Couturier Definition

altier

Clothing Definitions

Designer Jeans

Designers & Designer Brands

The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/haute_couture).  9/17/04
Discussion boards are a great place to meet other members of the fashion industry, get advice, and share information.  This forum was created to discuss the topic of this page.  If you have questions, or information to improve this page, please join in the community discussion below.  Please keep the communication on topic and for the purpose of education.
 
comments powered by Disqus

Fashion Industry


Apparel Search   Add Your Company   Contact Us   About Us   Advertise   News Letter   Legal   Help
Copyright © 1999-2023 Apparel Search Company.  All Rights Reserved.