This is Couture

Couture

(an excerpt from Wikipedia)

“Haute couture (French for “high sewing” or “high dressmaking”; pronounced: [ot kutyʁ], English pronunciation: /ˌoʊt kuːˈtʊər/) refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture is a common abbreviation of haute couture and refers to the same thing in spirit.^[1]

In France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris based in Paris, France. Their rules state that only “those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves” of the label haute couture. The criteria for haute couture were established in 1945 and updated in 1992.

To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules:

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.
• Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

However, the term haute couture may have been misused by ready-to-wear brands since the late 1980s, so that its true meaning may have become blurred with that of prêt-à-porter (the French term for ready-to-wear fashion) in the public perception. Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing^{[citation needed]}. Falling revenues have forced a few couture houses to abandon their less profitable couture division and concentrate solely on the less prestigious prêt-à-porter. These houses, such as Italian designer Roberto Capucci, all of whom have their workshops in Italy, are no longer considered haute couture.”

It only barely mentions it here, but other sites on the subject, as well as a few of my instructors at school mention that a certain very high percentage of the work must be done entirely by hand. That means NO SEWING MACHINES. AT ALL.

Obviously, in America, anyone with enough ego can call their label “Blank Blank Couture,” but we all know it isn’t really. ANYWAYS, Spring Couture fashion week happened! So I’m here to share some of my favorite glorious-made-completely-and-painstakingly-by-hand-garments!

Chanel

Why not start us off with the ultimate classic? The way I feel about Chanel is always somewhere in-between wowed and unimpressed. No complete collection has ever blown me away, and I think the main reason for that is that I don’t really care for the Chanel Suit. Oh no! Fashion travesty, right? Well, thankfully this time around Karl has designed a few coats around the same idea of the Chanel Suit that I enjoyed.

 

 

Note the feminine cut in place of the traditional boxy silhouette of the Chanel Suit.

There you are, all of your coat-bases covered! Beaded, double-breasted, and a fun spring color. Also rather digging the sequined leggings, which of course look more like skinny pants on those lithe models.

 

 

Another ultra femme coat, and a healthy dose of ruffles for Spring.

I don’t think anything quite gets me in the mood for Springtime like mountains, cascades, and flourishes of pastel ruffles. I really don’t care how much volume they add to my personage. It’s completely excusable in the springtime to want to look like a cotton candy cloud, in my opinion.

 

 

Three dimensional florals are another springtime favorite. Also: pastel pink pants.

Last year when I was planning this Spring’s Neighborhood Story collection it included three-dimensional floral applications and pastel pink pants. I could show you the Jo-Ann’s receipt I scribbled it on! I don’t care if everyone thinks I ripped off Chanel, either! I’m doing it! If anything, it just validates the fact that I have my entire fist on the pulse. And of course those beaded jackets are absurdly impressive as well. But FLOWERS, OOO AHHH PRETTY.

 

 

Maxi-skirts stay in for Spring.

TEN MILLION BEADS were used in this collection, you guys. TEN MILLION little beads all sewn on by HAND. I think that task alone would probably give me arthritis. What really caught my eye here though, were the skirts. I love the layers multi-colored layers of organza, and the long, full skirt embellished with tufts of maribou. Gorgeous!

I must admit, when maxi-skirts started gaining popularity I was a bit skeptical about them, but I think I’m coming around.

Moving on!

 

Elie Saab

 

Variations on a skin-colored theme.

I’ve never been a huge fan of this particular peachy-nude color, that on the right person, would blend right into their skin. I LOVE the construction on these dresses, however. In the first picture, the nearly bare neckline doing a downward crescendo into a full skirt of floral ruffles. The second, the entire length of the dress being tightly clustered bouquets of floral ruffles, with barely-there chiffon sleeves. And the third; the ingenue’s Oscar dress for sure. Short, sweet, with a touch of barely there lace on top.

 

 

Lilac is an always welcome Spring staple, sexified with strips of lace.

APPARENTLY Elie Saab has a reputation in the couture world for showing a bit too much. A little nipple here, a little thigh-high slit there… Personally I don’t mind it. In fact I really like the combination of sweet and sexy in these purple offerings. The skirt on the first is reminiscent of lingerie, especially when paired with the peek-a-boo lace on the bodice. LOVE THAT. And of course I’m going to be drawn to that gorgeous engineered floral print! The way he layered it to look like the flowers are spilling out from the skirt instantly caught my eye.

 

 

Just to round out the evening, a bit of black and white.

Somewhere between the gorgeous lilac and floral prints was a parade of BRIGHT RED, which is a color I find kind of trite and laughable in evening wear applications most of the time, and CHARTREUSE which when immediately following red is even more vomitous than usual. BTW vomitous should take its rightful place in the english dictionary. Anyways, I thought the black one was the best of the all black grouping, and I just HAD to include la mariée, n’est-ce pas?

 

Dior

I always have really high hopes for Dior, and I wasn’t completely letdown this time because the vision behind this collection was really, really cool.Before designing for Dior, John Galliano studied fashion illustration at Central St. Martins. So as a tribute to René Gruau, the illustrator for Christian Dior in the 40s and 50s that helped define their iconic look, Galliano created a collection of illustrations brought to life. I have to show you some of Gruau’s work first so that you can fully appreciate what the house was able to create in fabric, what he did on paper.

 

Some popular illustrations by Gruau.

 

Layers of organza create a "shaded" effect.

One thing that did kind of disappoint me about this collection was the disjointed color story. There were too many bright colors that didn’t really match each other parading down the runway one by one. It made it look kind of like “student work” to me. Which is ridiculous because all of these garments are extremely well made and expensive looking, but I feel like in some cases they ended up looking cheap.

 

Bright pink injected in between two muted colors, and paired with other very 80s brights...

 

I picked these for their resemblance to Gruau’s work more than how much I like them. I don’t like the way Galliano used Magenta in this collection especially.

 

Sky blue over an amaretto beige bring Spring-time lightness to heavy gowns.

 

This group of blue and tan dresses are by far my favorites in the collection. I love the way he layered the colors, and the fullness of the skirts. Agh! They just make me want to get all dolled up for no reason at all!

 

It wouldn't be Spring without easter-egg colors, now would it?

 

I love pastels, full skirts, and delicate embroideries/beaded embellishments. Notice how every single garment with embellishment is only done on the right side.  I think it’s an interesting nod to the way most fashion illustrators will only hint at the detail on a garment by filling in one side of the illustration.

 

Cat mask!

 

I’m not usually very taken by headgear in runway shows, but what’s up Cat Woman? I’m totally going to make myself a sheer cat mask now!  Oh and the dresses are cool too. XD

 

And finally…

 

Givenchy

Basically… Givenchy wins couture fashion week once again. They took inspiration to a place that I wish more designers would go in design. Ricardo Tisci was inspired by Japan. BUT NOT GENERIC KIMONO/GEISHA/DRAGON JAPAN. No, he took inspiration from Japanese toys and turned it into amazing couture. This collection is my favorite of the season, hands down.

 

 

Zomg crane appliqué!

The number of pieces involved in these garments is pretty mind-blowing.

I also really like the white and neon combination.

If this isn't one of the most amazing things you've ever seen you have no soul.

"Oh my god, she's like a Gundam! ... a NAKED Gundam..."

 

 

 

 

 

♥ That’s all for now, but don’t worry! Fall 2011 fashion week is starting soon! ♥