Haute Couture – Commercial reality or branding
Sadly, Haute Couture is a dying art. Today there are a maximum of 2,000 people employed in prestigious workshops in Paris, supplying beautifully made, luxurious outfits to no more than 3,000 clients globally. Originally, these Haute Couture houses were considered avant-garde, and set all the new trends, but not anymore – now the ready-to-wear market has picked up the mantel. So has Haute Couture permanently lost its innovative status? Many people believe that the prestigious fashion collections of companies like Chanel and Dior, showcased on the catwalk are just extravagant advertisements for their high street brands of must-have bags, perfume and sunglasses.
The Chambre Sydicale de la Couture Parisienne, who bestow the title of Haute Couture on their chosen design houses, have expressed a desire to bring Haute Couture into the modern age – but tradition demands that a couture designer must have an atelier in Paris to attain that accolade.
There are a number of Lebanese designers today who are creating dresses that conform to the traditions of Haute Couture who are successfully building a commercial client base…but will they be recognised in this elite club! Will the title be used outside of Paris?
Gorgeous extravagant unattainable, Haute Couture is also a strong marketing brand used to sell many different products but it’s power should never be doubted. In today’s world image is everything – even Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette sells merchandise with cat brooches featuring strongly in his collection. And so the magic of Haute Couture lives on…
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