The term Haute Couture is a French term that means the practice of creating highly specific clothing orders for clients to their specifications. It's a crucial, influential staple of the fashion world. 'Haute' in French means 'high'; 'couture' means 'dressmaking' or 'sewing. '
Haute couture (/ˌoʊt kuːˈtjʊər/; French pronunciation: [ot kutyʁ]; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design.
The criteria for haute couture include:
Having at least 20 full-time technical employees at one of their workshops. Creating made-to-order clothing items for private clients. Presenting minimum 50 day and evening designs every fashion season (in January & July)
Put simply, haute couture – a term that dates back to the 1800s – refers to custom garments created as one-off pieces for specific clients. But the term cannot be used indiscriminately. “ Haute couture” is a legal term of art: a word that bears legal significance.
Designers must create made-to-order pieces for private clients, maintain an atelier (workshop) in Paris staffed by at least 20 full-time artisans and 20 full-time technical experts, and present a collection of at least 25 original designs twice a year during the illustrious Paris Couture Week held in January and July.
Couture and Ready-to-Wear Clothing
Garments created in haute couture fashion houses are known for their one-of-a-kind design, high-quality fabrics (and ornamentation), extreme attention to detail, and custom fit.
Boutique fashion enjoyed greater freedom of expression because it was not as bound by the social norms governing the function of clothing as was haute couture fashion. The price differential also had an influence since intrinsic to “bespoke” is an idea of quality that would last.
The use of the term Haute Couture is a legally protected and can only be used by the fashion houses which have been granted this designation by the French Ministry of Industry.
Dissecting these different tiers, from the top of the pyramid to the base, the levels are as follows: Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear (RTW), Diffusion, Bridge, and Mass Market.
It is the most exclusive clothing in existence. Couture is handmade by specialised tailors, often of luxurious/high quality, special fabrics with beautiful details, such as embroidery and appliques. One haute couture dress may contain as many as two thousand hours of handwork.
Haute couture involves making unique, handmade clothes for individual customers, which are very luxurious and expensive. On the other hand, ready-to-wear clothes are mass-produced in standard sizes, so they are more affordable and available to everyone.
Couture is any fashion piece that's handmade and one-of-a-kind. However, haute couture is high fashion clothing or also known as high-dressing made by atelier / fashion houses regulated by the French government.
Couture is a French word that means “sewing” or “dressmaking.” The phrase haute couture translates as “high sewing” or “high dressmaking” and is synonymous with high fashion. In France, clothing cannot be labeled haute couture unless it meets certain standards set by an official organization.
These rules are simple, to be designated as haute couture a minimum of fifteen people must be employed at the workshops and must present to the press in Paris each season (spring/summer and autumn/winter) a collection of at least thirty-five runs consisting of models for daytime wear and evening wear.
A custom dress is made-to-measure based on your preferences, while a couture dress is a one-of-a-kind creation crafted from scratch. The couture process involves multiple fittings, ensuring a flawless fit and design that's truly yours.
Couture is typically associated with prestigious fashion houses and designer labels. So, while both bespoke and couture involve custom-made outfits, couture takes customization to an even higher level of exclusivity, craftsmanship, and artistry.
Couture designs are always custom-made, made to the specific measurements of an individual client. Contrary to ready-to-wear, they are not mass-produced and available in standard measurements in brand's stores. Each couture outfit takes months of work.
December 4, 1961. Creation of the Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture House. Pierre Bergé began raising the necessary funds for opening a haute couture house.
HOW MUCH DOES A COUTURE DRESS COST? It really depends on the level of embellishment. Day wear usually starts at around $25,000, though it does depend on the brand [Chanel Haute Couture generally costs between $40,000-80,000], while bridal can easily cost $100,000-250,00, depending on the embroideries.
The construction of ready-to-wear clothing is also held to a different standard than that of haute couture due to its industrial nature. High-end ready-to-wear lines are sometimes based upon a famous gown or other pattern that is then duplicated and advertised to raise the visibility of the designer.
Catherine shared that a Dior Haute Couture “simple” dress cost between €40,000 and €80,000, while an “elaborate” dress – generally wedding dresses – would cost around €150,000 to €200,000.