Understanding Haute Couture

Haute Couture certainly has a unique place in the fashion world today. If you’ve ever seen some of the pieces in couture shows, you’ve probably baffled at why those extreme pieces were even made. Chances are, you wouldn’t wear even half the pieces displayed in these high brow couture shows. From skirts that making walking impossible to 25-pound hats, why even have those unfunctionable pieces?

You’re not alone in your thoughts. Most of the pieces made for those shows are not designed to be worn, as is. They are statements made by designers, displaying their brand and vision for the fashion world. One of the best examples would be the 2011/2012 Dior Haute Couture collection. This show was attended by some of the top fashion journalists, models, and celebrities who viewed the show with awe. However, if you grandmother from Wisconsin saw that show, she’d probably have a different idea. The models wore elegant pastel pieces, but their hair was taken to new heights and each model wore a face-sized ball or block in her hair. Even some of the top names in the fashion world called this show a “hodgepodge.”

What your grandmother probably didn’t realize was that the show was less about the clothing or hairstyles on the models. Instead, the show displayed the lightness and femininity that Dior has been using in their collections. This fashion house does an amazing job with their color in their off-the-rack collections, so don’t be surprised that their couture show is a celebration of that idea on a grander scale.

So, what exactly do these couture shows do for designers? They give you an idea of the brand’s vision for fashion. You probably aren’t going to wear most of the pieces as is, but you may see the same themes on a reduced scale in their more consumer-friendly pieces. It may help to think of the designers as an artist rather than just a clothing or accessory maker. Anyone with a sewing machine and some lessons can make a dress. An artist truly creates. For artists like Chanel and Marc Jacobs, these couture shows are their time to shine.

Chances are, haute couture shows will probably still confuse a significant part of the population today. However, for those that actually give it a chance, you can find some pretty amazing pieces and an incredible artistic vision. Just like any other artist, these high-fashion designers are using their talent to express their vision with haute couture.

Written for Graveravens.com by Meredith Crilly