The true meaning of the term “haute couture” (haute meaning elegant or high and couture meaning dressmaking, sewing, or needlework) refers to Parisian handcraft industry that guaranteed luxury, elegance, and exclusivity in creation. “A model haute couture garment is made specifically for the wearer’s measurements and body stance. A client would get a perfection of fit only achieved by painstaking methods of cutting and fitting to the client's body. The manual labor needed to produce a garment this way takes between 100-150 hours for a suit and up to 1000 hours for an embellished evening dress.” (Thomas) For the purpose of this article, I will be discussing the time period and designers associated with the movement, however additional information about price and process can be found at: www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm
There were seventy registered couture houses in 1939, which included some of the major houses we all know and love today: Balenciaga Chanel, Shiaparelli, etc. With the occupation of Paris during the war, private clients were dispersed, international sales were disrupted and several of the couture houses closed. The Germans wanted to move couture to Berlin, however Lucien Lelong, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, argued, “It is in Paris, or it is nowhere”. In 1945-46, the chamber along with what was left of the Paris couturiers, organized a traveling show, “Theatre de la Mode”- held in Paris, Barcelona, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, New York & San Francisco, Britain, and Scandinavia, raising funds for war victims and promoting Paris as the capital of high fashion. Another purpose was to draw back to Paris the international clientele that had benefited haute couture prior to WWII. Décor was designed by Christian Berard and Jean Cocteau among others. Houses presented collections on miniature wire dress models (a demonstration of fantasy and imagination).
Couturiere Masters
One of the most prominent figures attributed with haute couture is Christian Dior who created the famous New Look of 1947. The voluptuous collection was the antithesis of masculine wartime fashions. It featured sloping shoulders, a full bust and a cinched-in waist, accentuating the female form. The amount of fabric that it took to create a New Look garment outraged London officials because of the wartime rationing. The collection was shown in secret to Queen Elizabeth. The launch of the “New Look” marked the beginning of what Dior considered “the golden age”. The next ten years set the standard for high fashion dressmaking.
Another important figure in the Haute Couture movement was Cristobal Balenciaga. The House of Balenciaga produced 356 designs per year and was the most exclusive fashion house in Paris. Clients were admitted only by personal introduction. His mastery lay in the cut. He was renowned for reworking the sleeves of the garments. Countess of Bismarck, one of the well- known Balenciaga clients, wore exclusively Balenciaga designs and locked herself in her room for three days when he retired.
Other practitioners of the new look during that time that are perhaps not as well known were Jacques Fath- accentuated curves and co-opted male accessories in his outfits (wing collars, ties, carnation in the buttonhole, etc) and Pierre Balmain- who had a more sober “New French Style” as called by Gertrude Stein- with outfits inspired by the world of sport, city-wear costumes with discreet tennis stripes and “little” cocktail dresses or evening gowns decorated by embroidery. After the success of the New Look, each couturier was to develop his own style based on the hourglass model of the time ( i.e. close-fitted bust, tucked-in-waist, rounded hips, unpadded shoulders, and a tapered or full, elongated skirt).
The original couturieres continued their artistry throughout the revolution and some have lasted for generations, each house named after its creator, and still stand today. Others have faded with the passing of their founders. Keeping with the ideals of exclusivity, the amount of actual couturiers has shrunk as well. The term haute couture is protected by law and defined by the members of the Chambre, who decide which houses can officially use the name "haute couture". As of early 2007, there are ten official haute couture member houses:1. Adeline Andre
2. Chanel
3. Christian Dior
4. Christian Lacroix
5. Dominique Sirop
6. Emanuel Ungaro
7. Franck Sorbier
8. Givenchy
9. Jean Paul Gaultier
10. Jean-Louis Scherrer
If you are lucky enough to be in London in the next couple of months, there is an exhibition on haute couture called, The Golden Age of Couture at:
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road London SW7
020 7942 2000
www.vam.ac.uk
Information Cited from:
Icons of Fashion: The 20th Century, Gerda Buxbaum
Fashion-era.com/ Haute Couture Fashion History, written by Pauline Weston Thomas
http://www.fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm
The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic
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