The Craftmanship of Haute Couture ... The details and how they do it.

[j´adore dior]

WHAT? Are you saying there are more than ONE dress with a million US + dollar price tag EVERY HC season?

as far as i know couture gows do not reach one million dollar price tags, they are extremely expensive but not that much, for example a chanel hc tweed ensemble (jacket and skirt) cost around 30.000 euros, and that seems to be the starting point for a couture piece, once i saw on tv the valentino window of the Paris store displaying couture dresses, they made a close up to the price tag and this ensemble costed 135.000 euros:

(style.com)

they always say the can run until 200.000 dollars but i guess they could cost more if they have a piece of jewelry on, like a diamond necklace that holds the fabric or something, but that will be rare, bottom line, they don´t cost one million dollars (but when it comes to couture, the price of the dress increases with time, you buy it today and ten years later it is more expensive because is like a work of art), that´s why they call it investment clothing.

 

[ultramarine]

The Dior dress I posted supposedly had a million $$$ price tag ... that info I got here from the forums ... apparently because of the price tag it'll go straight to a museum.

 

[j´adore dior]

The Dior dress I posted supposedly had a million $$$ price tag ... that info I got here from the forums ... apparently because of the price tag it'll go straight to a museum.

wow!, that´s the least important reason for a dress to belong to a museum, but it could be, as i said, 2 comas price tags are unusuall, melania kanus wedding dress, remember?, was in between 100.000 and 200.000, that information was all over the internet, Dior never gave the exact price but they gave a range.

 

[Ameera]

I love this thread! it is sooo useful. I own a little tailor shop that i'm planning to turn into a designing house once i learn more about haute couture.

Unfortunatly, most people here get all the fabrics and embroidered peices from India and then make a dress with embroidery that was already there and call themselves designers and sell them for a minimum of $ 3000.


this thread has taught me so much so far! thanks Karma to you hun!

 

[Ghost]

i also want to be a couturier and have my own couture house
that's exciting

 

[Ghost]

I think CoCo chanel became so rich that she stayed in Hotel Ritz like her own home for 30 years before her death in that room . the room she had lived is still present and the room is named the coco chanel suite
lol if you sleep there and she will sure haunt you. in the midst of the night, a hazy vision appears slowly and boommm chanel double c logo appears..lol
and can you image you wake up in the night and see a woman sitting on the sofa like this

 

[Ghost]

lol this is the suite she lived

saranair

 

[gius]

Hahaha ... I heard you can get tours of this place, where she lived^
I also heard she ued to live here as a hideout maybe. She would go through the back to get to her atelier... I don't remember why she needed to hide.

Anyway that's so great to Ghost and Ameera! I'd like to work for a tailoring/couture house too, even as an on-the-side work. At my stage, it's much easier working independently on a small scale and meeting clients personally to arrange for fittings, etc. I can do embroidery, dyeing and drapery... I just need to learn beading now
In my city, there is a group that organises (ethical) crafts work for people in India. A lot of the things they make is imported here and sold at good prices. I think the group also does work locally because I've seen workshops at their shop. It might be possible to have your own designs and have them help to create it on a larger scale. This would be a much better option to what you're saying, Ameera

 

[Ameera]

wow Gius that's really cool. sounds like a lot of talent!

I'd love to know how to dye fabric. i hate it when i have to use the ready made fabrics with printed designs on them cause that just takes the uniqueness away and there will always be other dresses made from the same fabric. do you buy special dye for that? i know some people do it in their own tub! please give me some tips! i'll love you for that!

 

[gius]

That's exactly the same reason why I took up studying textiles
A lot of what you need to know and buy can be found here:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/
You need particular dyes, depending on the type of fabric you'll use and on the type of method you'll do. For example, some dye is only for 'tub' or vat-dyeing (where you immerse the fabric in dye), and other dyes are for painting directly on the fabric. You can also use fabric paint/ink for direct painting.
There are also other fun stuff on that website to try.

 

[Ameera]

thanks for the website Gius. its amazing. exactly what i was looking for.

 

[cygnenoir]

Oooh, what a great thread!

Go to this thread to read a very interesting article from earlier this year about the artisans who work on couture:

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f60/hands-sew-sequins-nyt-article-about-shrinking-corps-artisans-38332.html

 

[Missoni~Heiress]

I know that versace makes custom-made haute couture from $25- $50,000

 

[Deleted member 7575]

couture gowns can in fact reach the 7 digit mark, however it's rare a client will order it. Those gowns, by the time clients pick through what they want, cost far far less.

Someone who orders couture does not always buy the design verbatim. They can omit details, switch out fabrics, even take away certain design elements, as long as they pay the premium of course. It's very common for couture dresses to be made in all white...for weddings.

 

[Ameera]

I know that versace makes custom-made haute couture from $25- $50,000

I thought Versace stopped making couture and are only sticking to " Pret a Porter" .

Please tell me they still make haute couture. you'll make my day!

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I thought Versace stopped making couture and are only sticking to " Pret a Porter" .

Please tell me they still make haute couture. you'll make my day!

They do, they just don't have a show for it anymore. They present it to private clients, it's a better business model for them.

here's uma in a dress from the label:
http://www.style.com/peopleparties/...Id=slideshow34160&iphoto=16&play=false&cnt=35

 

[sethii]

Very intersting thanks for posting!

When I see pics of these clothes, I thought it was just the designers showing off, I didnt know people bought them! Who is actually wearing the warrior dresses from Dior?

(btw did we need the coco chanel ghost story! I'm going to have nightmares )

 

[Missoni~Heiress]

they do you just have to make an appointment through any versace store to go over and have an appointment with donatella they just dont waste money on shows... they already have loyal clints

 

[reese06]

When I see pics of these clothes, I thought it was just the designers showing off, I didnt know people bought them! Who is actually wearing the warrior dresses from Dior?

Designers are showing off but since it's haute couture, the clothes will be made to the customers taste and specific body type. As far as the warrior dresses from dior, people will make it more feminine and take the armor off of the dresses and have it made the way they want it. It cost so much but you really get EXACTLY what you want with haute couture.

 

[Ameera]

yay! good to know. thanks!