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

[nay-k]

this thread is so fantastic!!!
I found this pic of christian dior with a model at google:
I hope it is no repost ...

View attachment 272607

 

[ballroombeliever]

I love the old Christian Dior couture dresses Does anyone have any more pictures? I think its worth spending money on good clothes (I dream I will buy couture one day)

 

[SomethingElse]

A marvelous and informative thread. I am curious that haute couture appears to be the design of clothing for women, only. Is this really so??

 

[gius]

^I think the male equivalent could be bespoke tailoring, like at Savile Row in the UK. I can't really imagine a whole suit would be sewn by hand though, like in women's couture

 

[happyguy]

but they do. painstakingly sewn by hand. love ozwald boateng. his use of colour is fantastic.

 

[gius]

^Have you seen it? I didn't think handsewing would be necessary since menswear's a lot more limited in creating different shapes, silhouettes, compared to womenswear where you can go all out pretty much. I know you have to do handsewing but only in certain parts, not the whole thing.

Any idea what kind of stitch they might use for sewing seams...
Machine sewing is known to be the strongest...

 

[ilaughead]

^Have you seen it? I didn't think handsewing would be necessary since menswear's a lot more limited in creating different shapes, silhouettes, compared to womenswear where you can go all out pretty much. I know you have to do handsewing but only in certain parts, not the whole thing.

Any idea what kind of stitch they might use for sewing seams...
Machine sewing is known to be the strongest...

I have a feeling the handsewing is done only so that they can say it was 'Handsewn by Master Artisans'. It sounds much more romantic than a simple 'Made in ____'

 

[PinKragon]

WoW all of these that I read is very interesting... I saw a movie while I was in school the name is "unzipped" Izaac Misrahi, I guess it was done before he went to design for Target. but is very interesting, the whole proces, from the sketches to the Fashion Show...

 

[*sayan]

in a well made tailored suit, only the main seams are machine made, the whole construction inside is by hand, aproximately 2 hours of handstitching for every 5 minutes of machine stitching

 

[Deleted member 7575]

A model could be as simple as day suit or a pleated skirt. It wasn't until the 70's and YSL's theatrical shows that Haute Couture became a stage for spectacles and evening wear. quote]


thanks for clearing that up mutterlein. but i'm kind of confused i thought haute couture started as evening wear since the days of Charles Frederick Worth who is considered the first person to start haute couture. did YSL take houte couture to a different direction or just back to what it was?

such a LATE reply...

But Worth didn't only do evening wear, he did day suits and dresses and other "practical clothing" The fashions of the time were fairly opulent and consequently so were Worth's designs.

ILaughHead, the main reason why so much handsewing is used in Haute Couture is mainly because the construction requires it. Machines have limitations on what they can do.

 

[Ameera]

Thanks Mutterlein.

on a separate note regarding the hand stiching of suits, there are so many tailors here that make men suits by hand. Appearently it is better constructed and fits amazingly. but people here don't care since we have many of those talented tailors everywhere! I, on the other hand, get amused everytime I think about it

 

[gius]

^really... Ameera, may I ask where do you live? I have only heard of them in England, but a few weeks ago I did meet someone in East U.S. (maybe new york) and he said there are several companies that do tailoring for men... suits, etc. I am just really curious about durability when it comes to handsewing. I won't have my sewing machine for a while because I have to leave it in storage... but I want to make some clothes and I don't mind handsewing.

 

[educo]

My teacher said the same thing, when done right, handstiching is better than a machine stitch.

 

[educo]

Hey gius!! Get this book on Talioring, it's considered a bible because so many school use it, try to get it used. They have a men's and women's version of it : It's called "Classic Tailoring Techniques by Robert Cabrera and Patricia Flaherty Meyers.

 

[manolocraver]

Isn't couture is a dress or clothes that are hand-sewn by petite mains?

 

[5AvenueMarceau]

I wish my hand-sewing were better, my friends off to LCF to do a 5-year (including apprenticeship) tailoring course and I am so jealous.
I'm glad someone posted something about the physics of couture, I know no one means to, but I feel in the midst of the conversation about the embroidery, it can look as if the couture seamstresses are being undermined. Embroidery, although obviously a large part of the designs and some of the most intricate work in the designs, doesn't make the garment! Personally I think it is the construction that is the sheer brilliance of couture, it takes a wonderful seamstress to be able to practically envisage some of the amazing things the designers design. The shape, the details, the drape etc... all are things you must be so experienced and visionary to be able to create. I love it so much, its why the designers have such scope for theatrics, because there are these men and women who can make crazy but beautiful designs reality.

Also, if anyone was still wondering about issey miyake, the seamless a-poc stuff isn't a traditional japanese technique like the pleats please (which is what I think someone explained) but its a type of knitting machine that produces 'tubes' of fabric instead of one flat piece and its not to do with the knotting I don't think, but, I suppose if they were using or creating a knitted fabric , there's no reason they couldn't? Does anyone know? Would be hugely interesting.

 

[ilaughead]

^Somehow, after all I've read about A-POC, I still don't understand it. I think I must have to actually see it to 'get it'.

 

[Ghost]

go to youtube and type " Signe Chanel"

 

[Deleted member 7575]

go to youtube and type " Signe Chanel"

nuff said

 

[ThePinkHobbit]

Thank you so much for the Signe Chanel tip off. I just watched the first part on YouTube and it's so reassuring to hear even the top seamstresses f-ing and blinding that something isn't working out. lol

I found these too for people interested. The recent Dior Couture line. They have some nice close up shots of the dresses.
In 4 parts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghsZhutjh4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTkYOfWV0dQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW0YdRBdI2g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW0YdRBdI2g