Welcome

WELCOME TO THE FANTASY OF HAUTE COUTURE AND WHY IT’S CRUCIAL

The literal French translation of “haute couture” is “high dressmaking” and it is a legally protected term that can only be used by brands approved by the French Ministry of Industry.

The fashion houses that are part of this elite group must adhere to strict rules, which include having an atelier in Paris that employs at least 20 staff members, and making custom garments for private clients with one or more fittings.

How long does it take to make a haute couture dress?

The dress Clarke donned in Cannes, which was custom-designed by Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, took 250 hours to make using three shades of layered tulle. It’s not uncommon for couture dresses to take close to 1,000 hours of work by up to eight artisans.

And yes, this comes at a price, even though at that level, the price tag or budget is not even considered, with certain pieces valued at upwards of $100,000.

You can think of couture as the highest of high fashion, created by internationally renowned brands like Chanel and Christian Dior.

In January and July each year, they all present painstakingly elaborate and extremely expensive designs to a handpicked audience of editors, buyers and clients.

And of course, there’s no better place to show off these creations than on the red carpet.

However the ready to wear version retails for €4,500!

The record, in hours taken to produce a garment is held by Balenciaga: for a sheer wedding dress belonging to the 51st Couture Collection made with 250 meters of variable tulle, the embroidery process took 7,500 hours, using 25 types of sequins and beads including 70,000 crystals, 80,000 silver leaves and 200,000 sequins.

So what relevance does Haute Couture have in our lives???

1. It’s fantasy and escapism.

2. It opens the mind to what is possible.

3. As crazy as some creations are… WE WILL be wearing a diluted version or element of it in the future!!

4. Haute Couture is where our fashion comes from. Copied by the high street at breakneck speed to bring you the latest looks.

So while Haute Couture is for the 1%, we would be wearing sheep skins and fig leafs only for these amazing creatives😅🤣😅who continue to push the boundaries and give us such JOY…..thank you.

FASHION MASTERCLASS TICKETS.

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