Sunday, January 25, 2015

Haute Couture

     There is a certain mysteriousness about haute couture, because no one necessarily draws the line between what is haute couture and what is not. Haute couture is defined as an article of clothing made by a famous fashion house specifically for a client, and in french haute couture is translated literally as "high dressmaking." Yet somehow you have to be invited by the "secret" haute couture club to either buy haute couture or be a designer of haute couture clothing. To be a haute couture designer you must also be located in Paris. The title "haute couture" is protected by law in France by Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. Every year Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris chooses a list of fashion companies each year that can officially be called haute couture. Once you are titled "haute couture" you must follow a set of rules. It sounds harsh, but thankfully these rules are pretty sensible. For example, every season, the haute couture company must present a collection of at least fifty original designs to the public, both day and evening garments, in January and July of each year. Now, if you want to buy haute couture clothing, then you must live in Paris, or at least be extremely rich. In order to purchase the clothing, it is tradition to visit the haute couture shows. Haute couture is a club in polite terms, but to me it sounds more like a clique.

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