Haute Couture: A Fashion Design Only for the Privileged

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Haute Couture and life
Haute Couture as a phenomenon in society
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Haute couture and high fashion is a flight of fancy of the best designers around the world. Masters of the leading fashion houses create the collections haute couture, “especially not clothes, but true works of art. These models are unique and performed in a single copy. When manufacturing the patterns are not used, there are almost no seams, performed at the sewing machines – all the work of artists of fashion is done with their hands. For the models of haute couture “only high quality fabrics and materials are used.

Many models are designed only for show – they will never be produced in mass quantities, and not even, it is assumed that at least someone will be in the dresses on the street. The same collection of haute couture are “lab” copies, are sources of inspiration and an impetus to think about mass fashion designers working in the stream.

High fashion is markedly different from the “fashion” that is in magazines and fashion clothes, which can be worn every day. Indeed, the arts, including haute couture, free – valued model for the novelty, originality. Sometimes this is achieved at the expense of extravagant models, in other cases due to non-traditional materials: the high fashion is used as the most expensive silks and rare furs, and vinyl records and even the metal and paper. As designers show their collections exoticism, can only assess a painting in a museum, not a call for change in the wardrobe.

One of the most prestigious events in the world of fashion is the week of high fashion in Paris. Within a few days in French capital, guests, whose number does not exceed a few thousand people can visit two dozen catwalk, on the official program, and approximately the same number of shows, held outside the official program. There are top models, vested in dresses by internationally recognized houses “haute couture”: Channel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Emmanuel Ungaro, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hanae Mori, Jean-Louis Scherrer and Dominique Sirop.

The elite in the front row at fashion shows attract the attention of journalists, no less than the catwalk. Typically, these are movie stars, businessmen, as well as business leaders, especially the frequent visitors are businessmen of China, Japan. They are ready to part with tens of thousands of euros to get dressed in outfits from the creators of high fashion.

Such well-known couturiers as Giorgio Armani has long been working with stars of world class – his tailors create costumes for George Clooney, Samuel El Jackson, David Beckham.

The collections of “haute couture” for the most part, are not profitable, they are designed to support the brand home fashions. They are not aimed at mass production, but they are leaving millions of euros.

The phenomenon of “high fashion” causes different emotions of average human. For someone it is so certain prohibitive, phantasmagoric art, elegant chic and mysterious world of glamour.

Haute Couture and life

Generally claim that the fashion is an integral part of culture, is most closely associated with the touching musical currents, non-traditional sports, and perhaps primarily with social and political movements, resulting in environment.

And really, speaking about the role of fashion in life of every person, we should not forget about the way we take the world and our environment.

But of course it is not a rare case when it is possible to see something unusual in the street, something what an ordinary person can call an example of haute couture.

As a manifestation of the general trend of democratization of society, its basic views on clothing, fashion today gives everyone the possibility to freely choose ways of expressing the position of social, aesthetic attitudes, just mood. Often this will happen at the expense of the unity of style costume. However, this situation has arisen only in recent years, since the early 80’s. (Carr 1993:78)

This is strictly adhered to the principle of clear separation of different areas and styles of fashion – all of the movements, developed their distinguishing attributes, implied consent of any person with common facilities of pioneers separate style.

Over time, in the mid-80’s, this was the demonstration was considered to be the practical realization of the right of everyone to freedom of expression and originality of its own position, an end in itself by definition.

Long enough the existence of such freedom does not fall into the field of view of ordinary consumer clothing. Triumphal procession of new look-not only the creative success of Dior, but also a consequence of lack of freedom, peace had prevailed in the suit after the war. Because at that time a tradition of perceiving high fashion as the sole source of the emergence of innovative ideas in the clothing the average person goes back to the days when consumers of fashion does not have those whom we today might call ordinary people. But times change, and an increasing number of people who are not burdened superfluous aesthetic traditions, there has been interest in fashion and make efforts in order to look fashionable.

The simplicity of lines, which are based on the authors’ models of “haute couture”, to satisfy only those who wanted to emphasize their belonging to the aims of prosperity and good orthodox majority. What was once considered a sign of good taste and respectability was seen as obedience dictates of high fashion.

A natural extension of these changes was the emergence of rebels, not so seriously by the social aspect of their protest, with an increasing emphasis on the stylistic eccentricity. (Muller 2000:84)

That is street fashion was not only to shape the appearance of young people, but also play a part, and means rotating in the fashion industry. To be indifferent to the sum of these two factors, of course, high fashion could not. It should be added to this, the «crisis genre», covering high fashion.

As a result, has become a situation in which haute couture designers began to borrow ideas from the «street». Borrowing this could happen in different ways. Vivienne Westwood, for example, has developed at some point the level of youth business and felt that her ideas are already relatively familiar to fans of street fashion, can become a sensation on the catwalk started to adapt their own ideas for the haute couture shows.

The most common phenomenon is shifting to the language of high fashion, borrowing and adapting other people’s finds. For example, a rare summer without having to show the collection was based on the lines emanating from the development of style surfers. What distinguishes «surfers» of podium with their real prototypes? First of all, clean and perfect lines. These qualities, so valued by professionals of haute couture, the authors’ results are finalized, which will remain paramount in importance for this style of declaration disregard for the rules of decorum. The negligence of appearance of these surfers is achieved by shabby details of the suit, pompous, frequently fussy, color combinations, unacceptable to the fashion shows. This, together with the underlined sportiness way, is not central to the authenticity of street style, leaving his original image, only the outer shell, sometimes considerably distorted. Such «forgery» cause negative dismissive treatment from members of real style communities for which the most important thing in their chosen costume – a manifestation of the spirit of disobedience, unwillingness to compromise with the establishment. (Carr 1993:93)

The same trend is visible with the example of leather jackets, a classic attribute, and the whole character of street fashion. The number of interpretations on the podium is not quantifiable. Practically every designer, looks at this topic, tried, of course, bring something new in the line, color, texture of the classic model. None of these innovations have got accustomed at the «street».

Here, in addition to those already mentioned controversy we should pay attention to other factors. Unlike high fashion, where a clear focus on creating something new every year, each season, street fashion, despite its seeming progressiveness, and extravagance, is still very conservative fashion. This is probably the consequence of the fact that each part of a uniform style of flow was first mark, a distinctive feature of this course. Such things do not tolerate changes and are worn especially to emphasize identity to previously appeared clans. But times change, attributive aspect of street fashion is gradually disappearing in the past, and perhaps soon we will see on the streets gold leather jackets of haute couture. (Farren 1982:139)

Thus, the interaction of these two sources of ideas in modern fashion – the street and high fashion – so far looks a bit one-sided.

The street fashion is widely used, their ideas and findings as the material for their searches, high fashion, in turn, with little perceived fans of street style movements. Penetration of the same ideas of «street» the world of high fashion is becoming more active. (Farren 1982:133)

Many fashion houses, including Versace opened production line of denim clothes, which to a certain point was a privilege such «vulgar» apparel companies. Many relatively young designers, such as Lang, Dolce & Gabbana, specializing in the production of youth clothing, can not ignore the major trends that appear in the line of street fashion.

The lack of feedback is likely to explain the initial focus of street fashion in the negation of all that appears in line with mainstream fashion. It should be added that the ideas of the consumers of high fashion are not those of society, to which adherents of stylistic currents of street fashion. The main reason of this state of affairs today is likely to include the already mentioned decrease in the value of clan style street fashion. This is a growing democracy and pluralism in the area of clothing that has been felt since the early 1980’s. (Dant 1999:56)

Currently, fewer people are inclined to identify with any certain style community. Each of us is not so much seeking to express their clothing or aesthetic attitudes, but rather wants to express their individuality without resorting to this to help hard schemes, developed under the proposed street fashion style trends. Therefore, even if some ideas that have appeared on the podium, and become part of everyday clothing, they no longer create new trends, and the old clans, seeking to survive against the backdrop of the growing importance of individualism, are more than ever open to new developments.

Haute Couture as a phenomenon in society

Fashion is a process of social construction of boundaries between fashionable and unfashionable part of the social space and, consequently, between fashionable and unfashionable people in them. In the fashion of the social space swift process of changing consumer patterns develops, which serves as the symbol of modernity and prestige. In the unfashionable part of the consumer are much slower. There is no runaway race. There is a very different logic of choice. These two parts of the social space are identified by the participants using the categories of «we» and «them».

Self-identification «I a stylish person» entails appropriate dynamic consumer practice: monitoring of fashionable processes (eg, reading fashion magazines, watching relevant television, tracking the status of the street or their environment), adaptation of fashionable novelties in relation to their bodily, intellectual, cultural and financial opportunities, control their own budget, etc. Self-identification «I am one who spits on fashion» entails the practice of ignoring the fashion process, focus on different values: the functionality, utility, durability, etc. (Rubinstein 1995:47)

There are no substantive grounds on which it is possible to identify the fancy facilities. Compare the fashionable thing this year, the past decade, the century. What is common in their form, materials – anything! Fashion has no substance. But at all stages of its existence, it is inherent desire to mark the boundary between «us» (fashion) and «them» (unfashionable). Fashion is a process that tends to be gradual institutionalization. It includes primarily the emergence of a variety of professionals in the field of fashion (couturier, columnists, reporters, models, photo, master case of clothing, etc.). What is the difference between the fields of fashionable unfashionable part of the social space? In the fashion field is dominated by two values – modernity and prestige. They are intertwined into a coherent whole, so the content field is prestigious fashion modernity. Stylish process is the production of prestigious symbols of modernity.

Haute Couture is indeed a part of art. And it is developing under the laws of art. Fashion is part of mass culture. Consumers of the original works of art have always been very rich people who consider themselves the elite of society. They are also at the forefront of consumer products of high fashion. For example, the Dutch designer Edward van Rein made clothes for Onassis family, the royal family of the Netherlands, has established his home Haute couture in Holland.

This is pure art for art. Many models are designed only for show, not even assumed that they would be in mass quantities, or someone will come in the dresses on the street. Consumption of these models by rich layers shows only the possibility of utilitarian art. Similar processes are in painting, sculpture: there are works that are of interest only to look more at the shows, but there are those who use them to decorate homes and offices. But high fashion is also the laboratory copies, which under favorable conditions may make certain adjustments in the series, which are the sources of inspiration and an impetus to think about mass fashion designers working in the stream, producing a model class prêt-a-porter, that is designed for wearing in real life, not just on the podium.

The concept of fashion is a little bit different. This is a process of mass consumption and mass construction of the border between the «modern» and «unfashionable». In the physical space high fashion is concentrated on the catwalk, and fashion – in the street, in various public places – houses, businesses, universities, etc. This is what sometimes is called “street fashion”. High fashion and fashion relate art and utilitarian mass culture. Fashion begins where a mass models. Fashion is the opposite of mass culture, which is mass taste. (Wilson 1985:50)

High fashion and fashion have spread the border, which is pret-a-porter (literally «ready to wear»), it is the model proposed for use in real life. This is not a fashion, and offers designers, aimed at the mass consumer. Ambitions of their authors are connected with the transformation in the kings of crowd, forming its taste and consumption. In order to effectively govern the crowd, one must be very sensitive to its weaknesses, it is necessary to feel its aspirations, prejudices, fears and hopes. Artists working in the field of high fashion, by contrast, sought to detach from the crowd, to soar above it. One may shock it with courage, the moral boundaries of the game around in the same fashion is a dangerous experiment.

Fashion is a process that has several phases. In principle, these are the same phase, which are typical for any other product and describe its life cycle. The first phase is the production of fashion. It includes several stages. (1) ideal (spiritual) production – the development of new models, which initially could only exist in the form of paintings, drawings and descriptions. This function is performed designers, designers, architects, composers, poets, etc. (2) Materialization models. This function is carried out either by individuals or organizations: models of houses, shops. Very often the models of high fashion stop at this stage. (Wilson 1985:56)

The second phase is the proliferation of fashion items and standards of conduct. This process involves bringing the fashion models to the widest possible audience. This process also includes a number of stages. (1) Distribution of the image of the object of fashion and the standard of consumption. This is done through direct and indirect advertising. (2) Dissemination of material objects of fashion, which appear in the form of goods in shops, in the form of services that are available in most areas. The proposal creates a demand.

The third phase – the consumption of fashionable goods. At this stage, people who buy fashion objects using them to demonstrate their belonging to a modern process.

Conclusion

Fashion is a form of cultural expression, a reflection of reality, reflected in the behavior, but mainly in the clothing. Fashion changes very often. Fashion sets the rules of conduct and manners of dress, but people do not observe these rules, there is the risk of being said to be «unfashionable». There are rules that never go out of fashion, for example, the classic style of dressing.

In the broadest sense, fashion is the rule of a certain taste to a certain area of life. Typically, fashion is short and change frequently, sometimes returning to the forgotten.

The disputes about fashion begun immediately after its birth, and still continue. This unique – and each time a new way – affect our lives: spiritual and material. Humanity, of course, does not live by fashion – they have other, more serious concerns and problems. It is much more important, for example, to avoid the «star», and other wars, to preserve the land for its friendliness and charm.

So the first flight into space of fashion was inspired by Pierre Cardin for his creation of «space» collection, and now the second decade, we see the development of this theme: it went overalls and helmets, silver and gold shiny fabric, which sew everything – from jackets and rain to the elegant evening toilets. Changing the type of beauty – fashion changes the makeup, hair, figure, very human person, who is beautiful.

It can be a girl-boy, as Twiggy showing skirts and mini dresses, it is natural cosmetics, and sports a short haircut. Or a man that retains a good shape, taut. All this is a consequence of mass interest in the sport, the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle. A new image – new types of clothing, a silhouette, fabric and other materials.

The media, international contacts, tourism – all this makes the information widely available about fashion, and fashion itself becomes an international character. Traditional folk costumes, national costumes have influenced fashion, which is typical of omnivorous she draws ideas from all available sources.

Entering any relationship with fashion, we have a choice, and it must be done knowingly. We will declare about our allegiances and aesthetic ideals.

In addition it should be noted that Haute Couture is really for the privilege class of people because many stars and singers make money for being in the first rows of the famous fashion shows. For example George Clooney is a frequent visitor of fashion shown in Milan, Ricky Martin visits the shows of Giorgio Armani often.

Defile, in the calendar of which is the graph of “by invitation”, are the most closed, and an ordinary man can not get there, but they collect a lot of the rich and famous people. For example, the French Fashion Week is one more proof. In Paris, these shows have been selected for Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent, brought such celebrities as Naomi Campbell, Catherine Deneuve, Natalia Vodyanova, Mila Jovovich and many others.

References

Carr Roberta C. 1993. Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing. Palmer/Pletsch Publishing.

Dant T 1999. Material Culture in the Social World. London: Open university press.

Farren M. 1982. Black Leather Suit. – NY: City.

Goldberg Joe 1980. Cool Catalogue. – L.: Thames and Hudson.

Muller F 2000. Art & Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson.

Polhemus Ted. 1992. Streetstyle. – L.: Thames and Hudson.

Rubinstein R.P. 1995. Dress Codes. Meanings and Messages in American Culture. Boulder, San Francisco, Oxford: Westview Pres.

Wilson E. 1985. Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity. London: Vigaro Press.

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