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

[Missoni~Heiress]

Does anyone have more information

 

[sethii]

I found this


''[FONT=verdana, sans-serif] The term "haute couture" is French. Haute means "high" or "elegant." Couture literally means "sewing," but has come to indicate the business of designing, creating, and selling custom-made, high fashion women's clothes.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Strict Regulations[/FONT]

To be called a haute couture house, a business must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris, which is regulated by the French Department of Industry.
Members must employ 15 or more people and present their collections twice a year. Each presentation must include at least 35 separate outfits for day and eveningwear.
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Glittering Names[/FONT]


The syndicate has about 18 members, including such fashion giants as Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Pierre Cardin. The houses generate more than $1 billion in annual sales and employ close to 5,000 people, including 2,200 seamstresses. Workers often specialize in one area, such as feathers, fabric, buttons, shoes, etc. Before World War II, 35,000 people worked at couture houses.
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Staggering Prices[/FONT]

Made from scratch for each customer, haute couture clothing typically requires three fittings. It usually takes from 100 to 400 hours to make one dress, costing from $26,000 to over $100,000. A tailored suit starts at $16,000, an evening gown at $60,000.
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]A Small Market[/FONT]

Today only 2,000 women in the world buy couture clothes; 60% are American. Only 200 are regular customers. Often, designers will loan clothes to movie stars or other public figures for publicity.

During fashion's "golden age," after World War II, some 15,000 women wore couture. Socialites such as the Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley, and Gloria Guiness would order whole collections at a time.
Despite the small market, designers maintain haute couture operations partly because the prestige helps sell other products, such as perfume, cosmetics, and their ready-to-wear lines available in stores.''






source:http://www.infoplease.com/spot/fashionside1.html



a lot of that has already been mentioned, but it has some interesting figures, like the $1billion sales from haute couture!

 

[stilettogirl84]

a lot of that has already been mentioned, but it has some interesting figures, like the $1billion sales from haute couture!

I think what it means is that all the labels which produce Haute Couture already are making that much of a profit from other clothing, bags, shoes, perfume, ect.

From my understanding, most couture does not actually turn a profit

 

[Ghost]

no matter how i convince myself , i still can't see anything from couture that demands this kind of price.
but i can definitely see that.......

even a Dior rtw can cost around $5000, for couture...

let 3 fitting service add $2000
for best fabrics as they boast, add another $3000
impeccable craftmanship, add another $4000
the prestige of the brand, add some more $3000
and for charlize theron and madonna at front row, add $$$$$

 

[James1057]

o my word i never knew it was as expensive as that, i knew it was going to be pricey but not that much!

 

[stilettogirl84]

Couldn't one find a local tailor and have clothes custom designed and fitted?

i cant imagine that costing much more than designer ready to wear- let alone couture prices

 

[j´adore dior]

Couldn't one find a local tailor and have clothes custom designed and fitted?

i cant imagine that costing much more than designer ready to wear- let alone couture prices

i know its extremely expensive and difficult to understand, well i guess there must be great local tailors but haute couture is about the best of the best (i recomend trying to watch "signé chanel", a documentary that shows the process of haute couture), couture is linked to to the most artistic side of fashion, its price increases with time as any other work of art, to complete a couture garment many hours are required and many hands are involved, all of those squilled craft man do not charge what a poor kid charges in india, every single detail is carefully thought and put togheter, you get a date with john galliano, karl lagerfeld, valentino, etc..., who are very bussy, famous people, who are making some space in their scheduless to attend your every need... finally, taking in concideration those prices ghost posted, it ascends to 12000 dollars, a tweed chanel hc ensemble runs about 30000, wich around half more.

 

[iyemstoopid]

i remember browsing through a couture fabric store near place vendome in paris where they apparently had last-season fabrics from such names as ungaro or saint laurent... i also saw a similar shop in padova, italy when i was on a trip, they had the most beautiful duchess satins, fine laces and tweeds!

in ny i went to a store to buy fabric for my work. they had some stuff from past christian dior couture... the stuff from the 60's theme collection. it was fabric from those empire-pregnant dresses, the dresses with blue feathers and beading. the price? 810 dollars a yard. they had "cheaper" stuff of course as well, some versace gold crystal mesh stuff for 500 a yard.

 

[Ameera]

wow! haha a yard??!?! does anyone know where these fabrics are made? i know that each designing house design their own fabric but is it produced in their factory or outsourced ? and when i say outsourced i mean labor in india and pakistan. i remember versace's previous collection with the tricolor patterns that was so considered a work of art by a lot of people and i was just like huh!? you can find the exact same thing in the little shops here all from India. I know it's good quality and bla bla ... but is it really? or do they just mark up the price?

 

[Swati]

to complete a couture garment many hours are required and many hands are involved, all of those squilled craft man do not charge what a poor kid charges in india, every single detail is carefully thought and put togheter, .

Just thought I'd put in a clarification. I know it's a fairly popular stereotype to think of any garment creation or embroidery in India and China being done by poor kids.

However, India has a very strong, ancient and established tradition of textiles and embroidery crafts. Artisans learn by apprenticing with established embroiderers, and what the best craftsmen and women produce is truly extraordinary and sublime.

In fact, most of the best work of Indian artisans never really features in stores in the West, because it is done on one of a kind, unique pieces and traditional Indian garments such as shawls, sarees and salwar-kameez. Most of the so-called Indian embroidery that appears on even more high-end apparel in the West is mass-produced junk.

The difference between what a highly skilled Indian embroiderer and one based in Paris will charge you has nothing to do with difference in skill sets. It is simply a matter of difference in purchasing power, and the fact that the same Euro will stretch more in India than in France.

If folks like Gaultier are indeed using poor kids in India to do their embroidery, then I feel sorry that they haven't been in touch with India's master artisans. By the way, this is true of China as well, which has a great tradition of textiles and handicrafts.

 

[j´adore dior]

Just thought I'd put in a clarification. I know it's a fairly popular stereotype to think of any garment creation or embroidery in India and China being done by poor kids.

However, India has a very strong, ancient and established tradition of textiles and embroidery crafts. Artisans learn by apprenticing with established embroiderers, and what the best craftsmen and women produce is truly extraordinary and sublime.

In fact, most of the best work of Indian artisans never really features in stores in the West, because it is done on one of a kind, unique pieces and traditional Indian garments such as shawls, sarees and salwar-kameez. Most of the so-called Indian embroidery that appears on even more high-end apparel in the West is mass-produced junk.

The difference between what a highly skilled Indian embroiderer and one based in Paris will charge you has nothing to do with difference in skill sets. It is simply a matter of difference in purchasing power, and the fact that the same Euro will stretch more in India than in France.

If folks like Gaultier are indeed using poor kids in India to do their embroidery, then I feel sorry that they haven't been in touch with India's master artisans. By the way, this is true of China as well, which has a great tradition of textiles and handicrafts.

well, i used that stereotype as a poor argument to try explaining the lenghtly process that goes behind couture, and the fact that many salaries, tarified by hour must be payed, i wasn´t enaugh awared about India´s tradition regarding the production one of a kind luxury goods such as embroidered garments and hand made carpets, im almost 100% sure that Gaultier works with skilled artisans there instead of kids, mostly because he can charge the prices to the clients afterwards.

anyways, thank you for clearing all up and sharing great information that´s perfectly suited with this topic .

 

[Ghost]

OH MY GOD I found these pictures of making the whole SS04 dior couture

casadaimagem.com and style.co

 

[Ghost]

some more some more

casadaimagem and style.com

 

[Ghost]

casadaimagem.com

 

[clay]

FYI India now is one of th best and only places to get hand beaded and hand embroidered work done at an affordable price. Many, many couture houses get work done there.

 

[stilettogirl84]

Those Galliano creations look better off the runway! In the backstage, in the plain white, you can see the beauty of thee shapes and cuts much better actually

 

[clay]

Those Galliano creations look better off the runway! In the backstage, in the plain white, you can see the beauty of thee shapes and cuts much better actually

AGREED!

 

[Lena]

Those Galliano creations look better off the runway! In the backstage, in the plain white, you can see the beauty of thee shapes and cuts much better actually

totally BETTER off the runway and made up in cheap white fabric

 

[Ghost]

.Dior seamstress may be the most pitiful ones in Paris
when Chanel seamstress may have done 3 couture while Dior seamstress are still struggling on huge gown

 

[songbird]

love this thread! great to see the process and details..