Couture Fashion Overview
French pronunciation: [ot kutyʁ]; French for ‘high sewing’, ‘high dressmaking’) is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. Couture gowns are designed for individuals. Couture means high fashion clothes. "Haute" means fashionable, high-class. Couture is exclusive designs for each client. It is custom clothing by high-end designers for clients in Paris.
Understanding Haute Couture
The term haute couture is French, "haute" meaning "high" or "elegant, " and "couture" translating to "sewing" or "dressmaking." A couture gown can take upward of 300 hours to complete and is custom-made exclusively for one wealthy customer — couture gowns typically start at $30,000. What does haute couture mean in fashion category? Haute Couture translates to “high sewing” and relates to the extreme attention to detail sewn within a garment and reserved only for truly one-of-a-kind pieces.
Significance and Tradition
The reason couture fashion can command such a high price is because of the long tradition of high fashion in France, as well as the materials and work that goes into each item. Pieces are made to fit the specific client, or as part of a collection to be worn by models in a fashion show.
The Father of Couture
The fashion world considers him the Father of Couture or Haute Couture. An English fashion designer who moved to Paris, he was known for letting his clients choose the fabric types, colors, and other details they wanted when creating their clothes. His methods of producing clothing made him dominate Parisian fashion in the nineteenth century. At its core, couture fashion is defined by its opulence and attention to detail.
Couture Synonyms
Couture Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus. What is another word for couture? tailoring. dressmaking.
Haute Couture Regulations
The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture regulates true haute couture houses. Only designated fashion houses can produce haute couture.
Couture Characteristics
True couture fashion is a custom original, made-to-measure garment or accessory. Each client can have a one-and-only unique creation with no copycats allowed. The concept is comfortable extravagance. For example, hand-knit sweaters are only made one unique design at a time for the client.
High Fashion Definition
High fashion, also known as haute couture, is characterized by extremely unique clothing designs, high cost, high-quality fabrics, unique designs, and jewelry embellishments. These clothing are hand-made by experts, most often, to the wearer’s specifications.
Couture vs. Ready-to-Wear
Firstly, it’s important to know the literal meanings behind these pretty sounding French phrases. ‘Prêt-à-Porter quite literally means ‘Ready-to-Wear’. ‘Haute Couture’ is generally used to deem anything ‘High Fashion’. This isn’t too far off, as Haute Couture means ‘high sewing’ or ‘high dressmaking’.
Couture Pricing
How much does a couture dress cost? It depends on the embellishment.