Although the roots of haute couture are deeply ingrained in France, the idea of high-concept, handmade, custom clothing was actually established by an Englishman from Lincolnshire. After moving to Paris, Charles Worth gained fame in the 1860s for the incredibly intricate and well-made dresses he produced for the wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie. As demand among Parisian socialites burgeoned, Worth laid the foundations for the legends that soon followed in his footsteps, the most illustrious being the iconic Coco Chanel and Christian Dior.

Haute couture reached its peak in the 1950s, with around 200 houses presenting their designs to the French capital’s elite, as well as to those travelling from as far as New York. As the years have passed however, numerous brands have buckled under the pressure of hosting expensive shows and creating regular collections of handcrafted masterpieces, which are made with specialist techniques and the finest materials. “True couture is a significant investment – demanding in terms of presenting the collection and producing the goods. While it makes sense for some brands to do this ‘investing’ in visibility, it’s not universally wise. If a brand is going to make its money from accessories, then couture seems an indulgence”, said Professor Nancy Deihl, director of costume studies at New York University.

Many designers can no longer afford to showcase haute couture collections, and many cannot afford to do so in the first place

Made to fit
Fashion has become revered in the modern age, accessible by most and adored by fans all over the world. Fitting with this, ready-to-wear collections are now more exquisite and better constructed, with an attention to detail that was at one point restricted to the realm of haute couture. While more accessible fashion continues to raise its game in an extremely competitive arena, haute couture faces growing pressure, as fashion lovers opt for the former for its convenience and ease. One could argue that price also has a role to play, with a designer gown costing perhaps a few thousand euros, while an haute couture creation can cost hundreds of thousands.

Although a €250,000 dress may seem absurd to many, prices can be somewhat justified when taking into account the cost, time and skill required to construct these pieces. Each item can take hundreds of hours, at the hands of a team of technicians and artists that are at the top of their field, having spent decades perfecting their craft. The fabrics and materials are the very best that money can buy, with each layer carefully sewn by hand, starting with a muslin base. As for techniques that cannot be created in-house, they are outsourced to specialists that are few and far between, such as Lesage, an embroidery workshop that has been open since 1858, and Lemarié, a plumassier that has been around since 1880. “Particularly in Paris, couture considers itself to have an obligation to preserve the different crafts involved in the process of manufacturing. The emphasis is on handmade, as opposed to machine-made, locally-made as opposed to outsourced, and the highest quality materials”, said Thomas von Nordheim, designer, lecturer and author.

The term haute couture is not a loose expression that can be brandished by just any designer, even those of the highest acclaim – in fact, doing so is illegal in France. Specific criteria must be met in order to use the phrase and participate in Paris’s biannual haute couture fashion week. As such, designers must create 35 original designs that are revealed to the public twice a year, each of which is constructed over the course of several fittings with private clients. In addition, a fashion house must employ at least 15 full-time staff at a Paris-based atelier.

Every piece must be custom-made to fit the client perfectly – a dress, for example, is bespoke to the individual and finely crafted to make its wearer look spectacular. “In haute couture you have fittings until the garment sits on the body like [it is] sprayed on”, explained von Nordheim. Essentially, this is why the cost of haute couture is brushed aside by those able to afford such luxury. The feeling of wearing a unique work of art created by the finest craftsmen to complement its wearer to the utmost degree is, in some respects, priceless. In owning and showcasing such a piece, there is a feeling of power, not simply power from wealth, but the power that comes when one feels at their most confident, beautiful and glamorous. The desire to feel this way will never go away; humans are a product of their psychology and, until society reaches a point of utopia, the super rich will continue to exist and pay to feel amazing.

Priceless prestige
Many designers can no longer afford to showcase haute couture collections, and many cannot afford to do so in the first place. The affair is so costly that it even sent the legendary Christian Lacroix into bankruptcy in 2009. And yet, despite the trouble and exorbitant bills, prestigious fashion houses prevail. For a designer, the precious difference is that their creativity has no bounds, in terms of time or cost. Ready-to-wear simply does not allow this, while nothing factory-made could ever match the detail and beauty of haute couture.

Aside from the prestige and evident financial clout that comes with being able to create haute couture, the marketing gains it achieves are remarkable, as designs are broadcasted across the globe, and even more so if they are worn on the red carpet. With such images accessible via print, smartphone, computer or tablet, they reach the hands of far more people than ever before. This is particularly significant, given the rise of emerging economies and their wealthy societal sects. It is this relatively new customer base from countries such as Russia and China that has breathed new life into haute couture sales, and can even be thanked for Chanel’s record sales in 2014.

Naturally, only a few people can afford haute couture. Yet what is significant for a brand is that its influence trickles down into the affordable products that are their most profitable items. “Any woman will feel she has a part in the luxury and mystique of, let’s say the house of Dior, by buying the ready-to-wear line, a handbag, perfume or just the latest exclusive nail polish. This is where the money is made. The shows are an amazing form of advertising”, Von Nordheim observed.

Haute couture, unlike many other fine crafts that are resigned to the pages of history, is very much still alive. In fact, this form of high fashion, of art even, is thriving once more, forming the epicentre of a multi billion-dollar industry that keeps getting bigger and bigger. “I think couture is relevant today, because it’s a showcase of artistry, originality, and, in many cases, concept”, Deihl explained. “Like the concept cars that are shown at automobile expos that never hit the road, but stand for the best output of a brand.” In a world of mass produced and low-cost items, at least there is still couture.