The history of haute couture

Image Credit: Images from Getty Images, Dior, Schiaparelli, Art by The Style Historian.

There is a lot of mystique wrapped up in the idea of haute couture - often invoking notions of exclusivity, indulgence, wealth and luxury.

Recently, I asked someone uninvolved in the fashion industry for their take on the term ‘haute couture’.

Their response?

“Haute couture is just clothing rich people wear.”

But is that all there is to high fashion? And what is haute couture?

At its simplest definition, haute couture translates into English as “high dressmaking” or “high fashion”.

But there’s much more to unpack in this 166-year tradition.

Haute couture clothing must be made from scratch, fit to the specific tailoring of a client, and be completely handmade from start to finish.

It is at the highest point of the fashion pyramid, and seen as the highest form of fashion due to its craftmanship, quality and innovation. Creating these garments can take hundreds of hours, executed by the most skilled artisans.

Image Credit: The Style Historian.

With strict haute couture guidelines, the term itself is even legally protected in France.

Designers must be appointed as an haute couture maker and meet specific requirements laid out by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) – who regulate membership and evaluate its members yearly.

Image Credit: Inside the Chanel haute couture atelier, via Another Mag.

Haute couture requirements:

·      Have an atelier (studio) that employs at least 15 full-time staff and 20 full-time technical workers;

·      Make custom garment for private clients; and

·      Must present a collection of at least 50 original designs (both day + evening wear) every season during haute couture shows in January + July.

The best seamstresses and tailors are recruited and plucked out of Paris’ top schools for a chance to work at an haute couture atelier.

Houses are invited to be guest members each season. A fashion house becomes eligible to become haute couture members once they are invited at least four times.

And while some argue haute couture will one day be non-existent, in an Another Mag interview Chanel’s president of fashion explained,

“Very often when people begin to think that haute couture will disappear, quite the opposite happens.

Haute couture [is] a lot about research and development, about new limits in design, new limits in the selection of the fabrics. The studio takes the time it needs to ensure that every silhouette is perfect.

We have about 1,000 potential haute couture customers in the world… there are more and more people in the world who want such rare products… Cars, houses and so forth. Haute couture is part of that.”

Who founded haute couture?

Charles Frederick Worth is considered by many to be the ‘father of couture’. He founded the first true couture house in 1858, the House of Worth, in Paris, after impressing Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon’s nephew, becoming her dressmaker.

Image Credit: Portrait of Charles Frederick Worth, via Harper’s Bazaar.

Image Credit: Anna Wintour attending the 2024 Met Gala in a cape inspired by the original made by Charles Frederick Worth, currently found in this year’s Costume Institute’s Exhibit, via Getty Images.

But it wasn’t just the founding of this house that created a lasting impact – it was only the beginning of a series of firsts for Worth, including:

·      The first to create salon shows twice a year to bring everyone together at his atelier to view a collection (we covered this further in our history of fashion week);

·      The first to stitch his name into clothing, creating the modern-day brand label;

·      The first to coin the term ‘fashion designer’;

·      The first to showcase his designs on live models; and

·      Essentially setting the foundation for the fashion industry as we know it today.

How did the haute couture industry come to be today?

Ten years later in 1868, Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was established, responsible for setting guidelines for dressmakers. It later evolved into the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode.

And in 1908, Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture coined the term ‘haute couture’, creating a recognizable and protected term.

During World War II, the fashion industry in Paris came to a halt – driven by Nazi occupation and extreme rationing. Many fashion designers fled the city, or ceased operations during this time.

(A great, new television series that showcases this is Apple’s The New Look on Christian Dior - if you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love this show.)

In response to the post-war era, Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture introduced new guidelines in 1945 to help determine what could be deemed as haute couture. There were around 106 houses considered to be haute couture during this period, but in 1970, membership dropped to just 19 fashion houses driven by the rise of mass-production and strict rules.

So, what’s the difference between custom and haute couture?

Bespoke/custom – While still high quality, it is based off an already-designed runway look or off-the-rack garment. Usually, an already-existing garment is altered to suit your needs. These looks tend to be more casual.

Haute couture – Created 100% from scratch, by hand by the best artisans and technical workers in the fashion industry, using top materials. These garments are not for everyday use.

Who are the current members, and who is designing haute couture today?

Current haute couture members showcasing at the 2024 Haute Couture Week in June:

Meet all requirements laid out by the Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

·      Schiaparelli

·      Christian Dior

·      Giambattista Valli

·      Chanel

·      Alexis Mabille

·      Stéphane Rolland

·      Franck Sorbier

·      Jean Paul Gaultier

Current corresponding members:

Corresponding Members meet the requirements, but their ateliers are not based in Paris.

•           Iris van Herpen

•           Giorgia Armani Prive

•           Zuhair Murad

•           Elie Saab

•           Viktor&Rolf

Current Guest Members:

Invited to present their collections, and need to be invited four times in a row for consideration to become a full member.

•           Georges Hobeika

•           Rahul Mishra

•           Thom Browne

•           Juana Martín

•           Charles de Vilmorin

•           Imane Ayissi

•           Maison Sara Chraibi

•           Julie de Libran

•           Balenciaga

•           Yuima Nakazato

•           Zuhair Murad

•           Aelis

•           Ashi Studio

•           Gaurav Gupta

•           Peet Dullaert

•           Robert Wun

•           Ardazaei

The next haute couture show will happen in June – we put together a simplified schedule, which you can find here.

Until next time,

-       TSH xx