In Celebration of Couture

In celebration of the couture fashion weeks, here are TWO wonderful videos that transports one through the couture experience. Dior is really synonymous with Couture since it's inception. From the moment it opened it's doors in 1946, Christian Dior (now simply Dior) has amazed the world with their craft and attention to detail. Couture, or really Haute Couture translates from French for "high sewing". The "haute" translates as "high". It is the creation of exclusively custom-fitted clothing. It is hand made from start to finish. It is not mass produced but more like the female equivalent of men's bespoke. It is of the finest quality and done with attention to detail. It is only done by the most experienced of craftsmen and craftswomen. It is very TIME CONSUMING and very, very expensive. A couture dress can be as cost as much as a house. It is like purchasing a Monet. The clientele that buy it are in the upper stratosphere of economic privilege. The haute couture garment is made taking into account the wearers measurements, body stance and figure flaws. The designs may be deceptively simple to look at but often very painstakingly produced. Budget is not of consideration in couture. Artistic impact is of the utmost importance. Many garments utilize precious jewels, including diamonds, in the embroidery for maximum impact and reflectivity.

 

The Haute in the Haute

From a legal standpoint, the words Haute Couture are defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. This regulatory body determines which houses can be declared "haute couture". To be legally "haute", a designer must meet a few simple criteria. 

• Each design must be made-to-order for a private client and require more than one fitting.
• The workroom must have a staff of 15 employees working full time in Paris
• The workroom must also employ 20 technical staff working in at least one workroom
• The designer must produce 50 original designs for the public in a collection twice a year.

Few fashion houses have the mean to be considered "haute", however to be considered couture is another story. Couture gets slung around a lot and is often mistake for a luxury ready-to-wear. The two are very different. A high end, ready-to-wear (or pret-a-porter) is often misinterpreted as haute couture and many will align the term with couture. The two are not the same. Most, but not all, couture houses have a ready-to-wear collection that is available to the affluent public. However, that trend is really changing particularly in the last year. Economists take note. Two houses, most recently  Viktor and Rolf and Jean Paul Gaultier have dropped their lucrative ready-to-wear lines and to concentrate on couture. Other fashion houses like Versace have added couture lines to their ready to wear. Thus, there are uber rich shopping as the economic divide has widened. 

The two videos posted are from Dior. The garments are from two distinctly different creators. The first is under the creative vision of the current director Raf Simons. When one looks at it, it appear as a simple top with a striped poof skirt. Don't be deceived. Watch this creation being made and you will see, it is not so simple. 

The second video from Dior is under the creative leadership of John Galliano. A master is creative vision, he has re-entered the design world after a long absence. I can't express how much he was truly missed in his absence. The fashion world was a bit dull and bleak without something to look forward to each season. His new collection for Maison Martin Margiela Margiela was outstanding and showed off his creative talents.

Tailored vs. Draped Garments

I consider the question of draped verses tailored clothing a method of approach for the person doing the work. When i working on a garment, i prefer to go to the fabric store and play with the fabric. How it drapes, handles, the transparency or surface texture is important to me. I get inspired by the feel of the fabric. I like simple fabrics. I am not big on prints but have a real appreciation for people who can work with pattern and not have it come off as too busy. The fabric is a starting point and how I think it will work around the body. I don't usually have an idea in mind for the garment and then find fabric to fit the construction process. I start with the fabric and see what it will do.

Aspirational quality has something to do with it. Growing up, the more glamous people seen on television wore clothes that were draped or had a draped influence. The garments were usually one-of-a-kind like most draped garments are. The garment was unique therefore the person must be unique to.
Tailored garment came across as restrictive, forbidding and cold. I think I saw too many conservative ministers in dark suits. Tailoring was the "men's wear" and tailored garments ment business, restriction and conformity. I think that is why I seemed to rebell against them. As I have gotten older, I view tailoring as a technical challenge and a level of craftsmenship that is dying. The knowledge of how to padstitch, fit a sleeve, interface and cut appropriately is kind of lost and being replaced with fusible interfacing and down-&-dirty sewing gimmicks. It is easier and less costly to do tailored garments than draped, but without the skill behind the scissors, tailored clothing can be really boring.
I think a designer chooses the path of their creativity. Some designers like John Galliano can straddle both paths easily. Others like Raf Simons use a more tailored approach and have the skills to execute tailored garments well. People like Vivienne Westwood I find amazing. She can come up with punk clothing and be very much on the edge but she knows how to straddle that line of fine draped wear with edgy freshness to make a traditional ballgown attractive to a young women of today. My favorite dress of hers is this over the top ballgown... it was cut on ONE piece of fabric. It is a draped confection that is technically amazing. Constello Tagliapletra can make draped clothing for the masses palletible for the average American. There draped garments are conservative yet fresh. They are not too out-of-the-box so that the average woman who wants to fit-in with the crowd can wear a garment that will also help her to stand out from the crowd... again, it is about straddling a line. I also ad to my collection of designer favorites Rick Owens and Limi Feu. They seem to be able to construct cloths that use techniques from both camps. The garment the make have a draped quality but are probably constructed by 2D tailoring. They are fresh and edgy but allow the fabric to move about the body without causing constriction or restriction.
When looking at the photos, see if you can pick which designer goes with with garment. I think you will be able to tell which approach they prefer.