One of the most profane term in the fashion Industry is Haute Couture. The greatest percentage of fashion houses today, have haute couture attached to their name. Do they even know what it really means? Some designers are of the belief that once couture is attached or associated with your brand it makes you look more exotic, fancier or even perceived as a high end brand.

According to Wikipedia, “Haute Couture which is French for “high sewing” or “high dressmaking” or “high fashion” is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is high end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture translates literally from French as “dressmaking” but may also refer to fashion, sewing, or needlework”.

Does this mean that Ready to wear or the usual Cut to measure is Haute Couture? No it isn’t, the fact that you are making an outfit to a person’s exact fit, does not classify your master piece as Haute Couture. If Made to measure requires intricate detailing more than Ready to wear, then we need to put it in your face that Haute Couture requires more than just mere detailing.

Fashion Era states that “the cost of a couture item runs from about £10,000 for a simple blouse to £40,000 and often beyond that figure.  A Chanel couture suit for example in 2002 might have cost £20,000.  By mid 2004 an evening frock cost £50,000.  If you are not rich it’s difficult for an individual to understand why the price is so high, but it’s for service, workmanship, originality of a unique design and superb materials of the finest quality.”

In Paris, for a fashion House to be Considered as Haute Couture, it needs to fulfil certain requirements. The criteria was created in 1945 and later updated in 1992, according to Wikipedia this includes, maintain a Parisian workroom with a minimum of 15 employees, and it must produce at least 25 outfits per season, Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings,  Every season, this Haute Couture Designers have the opportunity to showcase their daring Creation with delicate Eccentric Designs and Excellent Artistry twice a year, which is obviously at Paris in January and June this must consist of at least 50 original designs both day and evening garments.

Unlike a regular Fashion House, Haute Couture Designers have the opportunity to showcase their daring Creation with delicate Eccentric Designs and Excellent Artistry twice a year, which is obviously at Paris in January and June.

With all the facts stated, the likely contention here is: How many persons can actually afford Haute Couture? Further more, Do Haute Couture Designers really make fluent flow of income from their masterpieces which are most times found in the glorious heavenly place: the archives. Dresses are stored in the archives of a fashion house to be pulled out for vintage inspiration and general reference and also loaned out to Celebrities for Red Carpet Shows or Movie Scenes.

By Utibe Ayi