While at one end of the spectrum consumers are turning to cheap fashion brands, the demand for haute couture from the very wealthy has never been stronger, as our Fashionista observes
These are testing times. With the global financial markets proclaiming doom and gloom, and the general cost of living rising faster than Agyness Deyn’s hemlines, it is surprising to find that the haute couture industry – the ultimate in bespoke for women – is not just alive and kicking, but thriving.
Haute couture, translated as ‘high sewing’ in French, refers to that hallowed and rarified world of exclusive custommade outfits, patronised by royals, heiresses and maybe, just maybe, the top end of the showbiz scale. It’s the ultimate in bespoke fashion, where a seemingly simple shift dress has a starting price of £20,000 (€24,600), a ball-gown £50,000 and triple that if it’s heavily embellished. A protected term in France, the criteria for an haute couture fashion house was established in 1945 and revised in 1992. The 23 couturiers are expected to abide by the following rules: they must have an established atelier in France with a minimum of 15 full-time staff; they must present haute couture collections including both day and evening wear, made up of at least 35 outfits, twice a year in Paris; and, most significantly, they must offer a made-to-measure service that constitutes one or more fittings.
On the surface, one would have anticipated that haute couture would have been one of the first casualties of the current economic meltdown. But perhaps the super rich are now so rich, nothing can touch them. Couture sales are up: last year, sales at Chanel were up 20 per cent and at Dior, 35 per cent. It would seem that couture offers its clients something only money, and a lot of it, can buy: exclusivity. Haute couture is not about trends, it’s about one-off, hand-finished creations from the world’s most famous fashion houses. Haute couture is not limited to clothes. Jewellery houses from Boucheron to Bulgari showcase couture collections, as do select shoe designers. Former Chanel muse, Inès de la Fressange, is now brand ambassador for Roger Vivier. His shoes, lavished with feathers and jewels, resemble lorikeets and are, as one may expect, made for reclining rather than walking. De la Fressange explains: ‘It’s not reasonable to make shoes that cost upwards of several thousand euros. But then, almost everything beautiful and interesting in the world, from cathedrals to wine is not exactly reasonable.’
It’s escapism, pure and simple. These clothes and accessories are the stuff of dreams. For those of us whose only access to couture is to pore over the runway photographs with sharp intakes of breath and rapturous ooh and aahs, it’s a moment away from the daily drudge. For the designers it’s the opportunity to bring their wildest fantasies to life and show off their artistry to the world’s fashion press and their clients. Ah the clients. For those lucky enough to actually wear couture, it’s living the dream. And, a very expensive way to ensure that no one else will ever turn up to an event wearing the same frock as you.
ZOE MANZI is a London-based editor and fashion writer