Haute Couture Clients

[Dkammern]

^^ but of course couture at that time was something totally different. it was about wearing three different outfits a day, women who would wear nothing but couture, and who probably had nothing else to do other than ordering and wearing more couture (as harsh as it sounds, that probably was their reality)
today's overembellishment not only makes the pieces more spectacular, but also keeps the artisanal industry alive. we are probably not to see sleek-"minimal" couture in a long time if what they try is to make lesage's profit soar.

also to be noted, balenciaga was never about feathers and embroidery. he embellished by enhancing the silhouette, creating shapes out of thin air. he neednt embroider anything to the dresses.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ The two women whose clothes were primarily featured in the exhibit did not appear to buy couture lavishly, and they were well past the Edwardian period where women changed clothes all day ...

One of them worked ... these were the days when most women bought US-made copies (I guess they were authorized ...) of European designers' work. She worked for Neiman's, and while she was over there buying the things to copy, she bought originals for herself. She had suits for work, and she wore them till they could be worn no more.

From everything I saw in the exhibit, the lifestyles of these women would be quite recognizable to us today. The process of being fitted for the couture pieces was the only rarefied part of their existence, from what I could see.

 

[Dkammern]

^^ "worn till they could be worn no more."

how beautiful is that?

 

[rip_ian curtis]

Guys, remember that couture in the forties, fifties and sixties was at the same price range as the high-end ready to wear of today, no matter what technique was used etc. Of course it sold well at that price and labor was cheaper, but the prices went up when the society changed and wearing ready to wear instead of couture became fashionable, and that's where we still are today.

 

[Crying Diamonds]

Couture today is the art part of fashion.
Some say couture is too decadent for this modern world but can you imagine a world without couture? Where it became just a part of 20th century history and machine-made ready-to-wear ruled surpreme? How depressing and unaspiring would that be?
Couture is what dreams are made of. Couture week is an exhibition of the achievements of man - the painstaking work and pain a man can put himself through when he is inspired to do so.
Karl Lagerfeld always agreed with Coco Chanel - making clothes is not an art form, but Schiaparelli believed it was and I'm inclined to side with her.

 

[Boomer]

You know that Make a Wish Foundation- where they give kids with horrible illnesses the thing they want to do before the end? I think if it was me, I would say front row at a Chanel Couture Show...! Maybe sit with Daphne, go backstage and have a flute of champagne with the models and talk to Karl...that would do it- I could die happy then...

 

[Boomer]

I have a question- A Billionaire walks into Dior or Chanel in Paris with his beautiful trophy wife, and says we would like to order about a million dollars worth of couture...What do they do- Show them the door? I mean it is business, how do they handle a huge cash customer if they do not know them?

 

[Chanelcouture09]

^i don't exactly know to be fair but do you remember in 'The secret world of haute couture' Becca Cason Thrash said she started on the back row of the couture shows and she worked her way to the front row by raising money for 'the american friends of the louvre' but i dont know how they get their foot in the door

you are very right about business is business

 

[cygnenoir]

Boomer, that is a great idea! Maybe we should all volunteer for Make-A-Wish and escort children who want to go to Couture.

"Did she say she wanted to go to Disneyland? Nooo, I'm certain she said Dior!"

One of my friends was telling me about a cute film called "Mrs. 'arris Goes to Paris" starring Angela Lansbury. I really want to see it! Wait, here's the description from imdb.com (it's based on a book
Ada Harris, a London charwoman in the 1950's, sees a Dior dress and decides that she's going to own one. First, she scrimps and saves her money, but when she has enough, and takes a trip to Paris, she learns that buying an original couture creation is a little harder than simply plunking down cash. Along the way to her goal, she manages to befriend a count, unite young lovers, and dodge customs.

 

[Littleathquakes]

This thread is very interesting and informative. However one thing I don not understand is why one must be admitted to Federation Francaise de la Couture before being able to purchase a Haute Couture piece?

If a woman suddenly decided to, say purhcase something from Chanels Haute Couture Atelier at Rue Cambon, would they say "No. We're sorry, you'll have to go through the Federation Francaise de la Couture"? Would a business turn away a potential million dollar profit?

Is it against the law to sell Haute Couture to non-registered clients or is it simply ill-advised?

I remember when I was learning French my professor explained a little bit about the French culture of buying. You don't simply walk into, say, a piano store, and buy a piano. You must be referred there by someone who knows the business owner.

I'm really oversimplying it, but that's the gist of it. It's all about connections and working your way through this elaborate transparent social system.

I'm guessing it's the same with couture. Of course, I wouldn't know from experience

 

[gius]

i think it's wise.

you'll hear plenty of horror stories in the custom dress, especially bridal, studios. the fit is just never right for the client, the hem is always off, etc. it's a nightmare what some businesses have had to go through with their strange clients.

 

[eternitygoddess]

I remember when I was learning French my professor explained a little bit about the French culture of buying. You don't simply walk into, say, a piano store, and buy a piano. You must be referred there by someone who knows the business owner.

I'm really oversimplying it, but that's the gist of it. It's all about connections and working your way through this elaborate transparent social system.

I'm guessing it's the same with couture. Of course, I wouldn't know from experience

Isn't this a stupid financial strategy considering that haute couture is on the brink of disappearing because there aren't enough customers for the couture houses to make a profit?

Beggars can't be choosers.

Also, can the mods change the title of the thread to "Haute Couture Clients" and get rid of 2008, considering it's 2010?

 

[fashionista-ta]

I think the bottom line is the French don't think like Americans do

 

[Littleathquakes]

Isn't this a stupid financial strategy considering that haute couture is on the brink of disappearing because there aren't enough customers for the couture houses to make a profit?

Beggars can't be choosers.

From a purely business point of view, it seems silly. But that's the culture, I guess. Unfortunately my exposure to France is purely on a tourist level, so these subtle relationships between business owner and patrons haven't been really experienced by yours truly. All I can say is, it apparently is working since somehow it's still in place.

 

[neonsprinkles]

The under pinnings of haute couture is value. For those who can afford it or already have it, I'm sure they want to keep the value of it to remain HIGH (even during turbulent times, such as our current financial crisis).

But as the world changes, so does fashion. From haute couture --> pret-a-porter, from pret-a-porter --> influence on trend, trends ---> influence consumer clothing lines, etc.

Because the culture of fashion is often miss-used (especially by celebrities/pop culture/blogs/etc), the value of fashion is questionable. Fashion is often associated with luxury, high-style and (to an extent) an attainable fantasy. I feel that couture almost guarantees the backbone of fashion in the sense that the value of fashion is kept high and locked.

As the value of fashion consistently changes (as the world changes), it definitely became more animated and avant-guard (Galliano for DIOR and Jean Paul Gaultier are the best examples). And honestly, since the value of couture is at that priceless level - why NOT create something completely out of this world? It steps into the world of Performance Art even. Sure, much of it isn't very wearable - but since it's couture and since it's custom-made, it can always be simplified into a more approachable form and still retain it's innovative edge.

Haute Couture often influences the creation of new silhouettes /cuts/etc, with the amount of intricate work that's invested into each garment - they come up with and create NEW ways to construct and stitch. It's an experimental process, trail and error, etc. For new construction and patterns that DO survive, they eventually become simplified. Pret-a-Porter is often the next step of simplification (though it may appear much different in its haute-couture older sibling). Over the years, some of the new cuts/silouettes that survive the tedious simplification process circulates into consumer clothing lines in a much simpler look.

 

[gius]

From a purely business point of view, it seems silly. But that's the culture, I guess. Unfortunately my exposure to France is purely on a tourist level, so these subtle relationships between business owner and patrons haven't been really experienced by yours truly. All I can say is, it apparently is working since somehow it's still in place.

i think it's really more about taking care of the people, their workers. they are the ones who keep it alive. the business is only one side. you see it reflected in the way they live their life, what they value. all those strikes you see on the News. their medical care. anyway, it's a bit extreme to say it will die out -it can be a necessity to some people. it will never die out completely.

it's interesting in the documentary you can assume the clients are all introverted and good-natured. totally the only kind of person to work for

Beggars can't be choosers.

This is not the way to live one's life, beggar or not.
But to each his own

 

[eternitygoddess]

So I take it from the discussions about patron-client practices that couture is driving itself into bankruptcy?

This is very hard for me to grasp. Article after article, person after person bemoans about how couture is "irrelevant" and about to "disappear" (esp. in the wake of Lacroix's adieu from the scene), when the truth of the matter is that haute couture itself is a self-destructing process.

 

[gius]

The under pinnings of haute couture is value. For those who can afford it or already have it, I'm sure they want to keep the value of it to remain HIGH (even during turbulent times, such as our current financial crisis).

But as the world changes, so does fashion. From haute couture --> pret-a-porter, from pret-a-porter --> influence on trend, trends ---> influence consumer clothing lines, etc.

Because the culture of fashion is often miss-used (especially by celebrities/pop culture/blogs/etc), the value of fashion is questionable. Fashion is often associated with luxury, high-style and (to an extent) an attainable fantasy. I feel that couture almost guarantees the backbone of fashion in the sense that the value of fashion is kept high and locked.

As the value of fashion consistently changes (as the world changes), it definitely became more animated and avant-guard (Galliano for DIOR and Jean Paul Gaultier are the best examples). And honestly, since the value of couture is at that priceless level - why NOT create something completely out of this world? It steps into the world of Performance Art even. Sure, much of it isn't very wearable - but since it's couture and since it's custom-made, it can always be simplified into a more approachable form and still retain it's innovative edge.

Haute Couture often influences the creation of new silhouettes /cuts/etc, with the amount of intricate work that's invested into each garment - they come up with and create NEW ways to construct and stitch. It's an experimental process, trail and error, etc. For new construction and patterns that DO survive, they eventually become simplified. Pret-a-Porter is often the next step of simplification (though it may appear much different in its haute-couture older sibling). Over the years, some of the new cuts/silouettes that survive the tedious simplification process circulates into consumer clothing lines in a much simpler look.

It would be interesting to discuss this in a new thread. When was the last time you saw experimentation in couture? The silhouette, pattern cutting, stitching. Dior is falling down in this area. Looking at all the articles that come out, you find more experimentation in the pret-a-porter than couture, and the influence on future collections is more often from there as well. Balenciaga, Burberry, Missoni, Mcqueen. But it's also possible what is happening in couture is just not being publicized.

 

[mikeijames]

haute couture will never go back to the same place as it stood in decades past because of technological advances in our society. seriously, the idea that clothing has to get custom fitted to one's body does not take into account that in our modern world that those with means have the ability to change their body into whatever they like using high-priced fitness regimens and cosmetic surgery. now, even in this environment there exist those women who will pay a premium to have something one of a kind. we know this because we have brands all over the fashion spectrum -- from balmain to balenciaga from bottega veneta to hermes -- that market super-expensive designs to appeal to these women. it's up to the couturiers to adapt to this new model. it stands as no surprise that the most successful couturiers also have other successful outlets that rely on a strong base of clients they cultivate.

style.com

 

[SandraJH]

This thread is very interesting and informative. However one thing I don not understand is why one must be admitted to Federation Francaise de la Couture before being able to purchase a Haute Couture piece?

If a woman suddenly decided to, say purhcase something from Chanels Haute Couture Atelier at Rue Cambon, would they say "No. We're sorry, you'll have to go through the Federation Francaise de la Couture"? Would a business turn away a potential million dollar profit?

Is it against the law to sell Haute Couture to non-registered clients or is it simply ill-advised?

The Federation Francaise de la Couture is what the Design House not a client must be a member of.