Haute couture, a French exception under high protection
Paris - Haute couture returns to Paris on Monday for four days of shows. This highly codified and exclusively Parisian event brings together a handful of houses that meet specific criteria. Often used to describe luxury fashion, the term “haute couture” is actually a legally protected designation, not to be confused with ready-to-wear. Here are its foundations.
A legal exception
“Haute couture preceded ready-to-wear,” which offers industrial fashion produced in larger quantities, recalls Pascal Morand. Morand is the executive president of the Fédération de la haute couture et de la mode (FHCM), the body that organises haute couture week and the Parisian Fashion Weeks.
Born in Paris at the end of the 19th century with figures like Charles Frederick Worth, Jeanne Paquin and Paul Poiret, it has been legally protected and regulated since 1945 by the French Ministry of Industry.
“After the war, it was necessary to preserve the couture houses that were facing supply challenges,” explains Morand. The label has since been granted by ministerial decision, following the advice of a control and classification commission created within the FHCM.
Strict criteria
To obtain this accreditation, a couture house must meet specific criteria. The designs must be original, made-to-measure and by hand. They must also be designed exclusively by the brand's permanent artistic director in workshops based in France.
The house must also have two distinct workshops: a ‘tailleur’ for structured and architectural garments, such as jackets, coats or trousers; and a ‘flou’ for soft and fluid pieces like dresses or blouses.
The control commission also requires a staff of at least twenty employees. It also mandates the presentation of two annual shows in Paris, in January and July, featuring a minimum of 25 looks mixing day and evening silhouettes.
However, there is some tolerance for smaller houses. “If we only have 21 or 22 looks, we are not going to police it,” points out Morand, who also specifies that the rule of two shows per year has recently been relaxed.
A select circle
Only 13 houses hold the “haute couture” accreditation, including luxury leaders Dior, Chanel and Givenchy, as well as Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Margiela, Alexis Mabille and Schiaparelli.
The designation is granted for only one year and must be renewed each season. Some major French houses are not on the list, such as Saint Laurent and Hermès. The former gave up haute couture in 2002, upon the departure of Yves Saint Laurent, while the latter plans to launch by 2027.
In addition to these houses, there are seven ‘correspondent members’. They have an activity similar to haute couture but are not based in Paris. These include Italian brands Armani and Valentino, Lebanese designer Elie Saab and the Dutch duo Viktor & Rolf. The FHCM also invites a few designers to show each season. Syrian designer Rami Al Ali, French designer Julie de Libran and Swiss designer Kevin Germanier are among the 28 houses that will be showing until Thursday.
French identity
Few in number, haute couture houses cater to an equally limited number of clients capable of acquiring pieces for red carpets, galas and major events. “Haute couture may seem a bit outdated,” concedes Morand, but it is “a laboratory” of savoir-faire and creativity. “It is a symbol of French identity,” he asserts.
In December, it was added to France's intangible cultural heritage list, the first step before a bid for Unesco heritage status. While haute couture remains a bastion of tradition, it is not static. “What is interesting is the presence of both very large houses and young designers from abroad who bring a new energy and a new vision,” highlights Pierre Groppo, fashion and lifestyle editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair France.
For him, this openness attracts “a less traditional clientele,” proof that haute couture has become “de-aristocratised”.
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