The Decline and Death of Haute Couture
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2022
- We love haute couture, but if we think about it, we love the idea of haute couture. You may have seen that haute couture is a booming topic, especially in pop culture where it is the subject of The Dressmaker (2015) or Phantom Thread (2017). A French fashion institution, haute couture started with the ballgowns of Charles Frederick Worth and is now a key part of major houses like Balenciaga, Dior, Chanel, Armani, Viktor&Rolf and Valentino. Throughout history, as couture customers have continued to decline, the goals of high dressmaking have become radically different. What do want from this medium?
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YSL was merely following suit of Pierre Cardin whose clothes in his shops sold both Haute Couture and Pret-A-Porter together, YSL launched the first shop Rive Gauche exclusively for Ready to wear. I worked for him for 8 years...Haute Couture nearly died in the mid-60's to ùid 70's because women were wearing old jeans and cheap peasant clothing they had bought hitchhiking around the world...Disco glam and designer jeans saved a lot of houses. Haute Couture isn't very feasible unless the designer has a healthy well run and distributed Ready-to-Wear line selling worldwide... The costs are exorbitant, not like the 60's, but also because of the every increasing taxes in France for so many employees...Ready-to-Wear fabrication is subcontracted to factories world wide, TRUE Ready-To-Wear is all hand made in the Parisian Ateliers with the best craftsmanship on the planet...It is the testing ground of new fabrics, new looks, collaborations with artists, the one of a kind pieces only the Hollywood A-listers and the few Royalties still making huge fortunes with their investments. I saw first hand how several houses died...how the design teams couldn't keep up with the times and had these sick fixations of what the designs of the house had to be based on...Mugler for example stopped selling the women's line or Ready-to-Wear because women stopped wearing corsets and huge shoulder pads...I tried to convince them to design using colors and trompe l'oeil instead of more unbreathable gowns but they wouldn't hear of it....they were forced to close shop in the early 2000's...sold the mens line which did okay for a couple of years but the current owners do not invest in quality fabrics and nothing is innovative and the fabrication is CHEAP...sad, because Manfred Thierry Mugler was terribly a perfectionist and knew garment construction... Montana wouldn't stop creating the same things...shoulder pads and drapey fabrics...30 years of that and the faithful clients die and new clients do not want to dress like their Grandmothers...Lagerfeld did wonders for Chanel from the 80's onward, his time with Ines de la Fressange is legendary, then his pushing Claudia Schiffer was amazing, but his last couple of years were looking dowdy and since his passing the place has taken a downward turn into an obsolete ugliness that I fear will never recover....Schiaparelli returned from being a legend of bygone eras before the war and death to now the leading house of creativity on the market...
...Oh, Saint Laurent was also the only designer to sell EVERY piece of his Haute Couture collections every season with one exception in the 90's.....Coco Chanel had done that a few times and Gaultier did it once that I know of....
there is a book called teh end of fashion,it also talks of fashion decline its very interesting
HOLY SHIT, that fran leibovitz clip hit the nail on the head! I'll also add Andre Leon Talley, "There was a time where people wore gloves." Now, I have clothing design clients who don't know the difference between a woven, knit, or even a skin! Cut corners all around because of a lack proper planning, or even interest in their own creation. The clientele who, by and large, care nothing about the design only about the name. Who are the tastemakers? Where are the standards? I think, when I feel haute couture is dead, it's less about the intricate techniques used, and more about the care and respect you can feel from the clothing. Understanding how a cap height affects the shape of the sleeve, or the proper rolling an understitch gives a seam... it feels like I'm the fool for caring about these little details, but I can see how just that little extra care affects how people look at it, even if they don't understand.
I wore gloves to church on Sunday as a child, and sometimes hats. Everyone thought it was cute. Now as as an adult, I mourn the fact that gloves and hats aren't part of our standard church-level "nice" outfits. (Is there a term for Sunday-clothes-formal? "Pattern Tie"?) I wear fashion hats as often as I can get away with it and I collect cloches, which I especially love, but it's so sad to me that even on runways, hats, gloves, parasols, and all these other amazing textile-based accessories essentially don't exist except as a gimmick. In stores, hats, gloves, and umbrellas are all the same, mostly ugly and cheap, and do nothing for an outfit, especially outside of cold, wet weather. It's not just haute couture that is dying. The actual variety of types of garments and accessories has shrunk incredibly quickly. Corsets are popular again, of course, but they are mostly produced as cheap outerwear. Women used to have an incredible assortment of undergarments and they all required unique knowledge to create. I actually sort of appreciate maximalism as a trend because maybe in some small way people will realize that there are most slots on their bodies for interesting items than just "shirt", "pants", "shoes".
@@laralynellsworth , I too still love gloves. During the beginning of the pandemic,w hen gloves were mandatory, I bought a collection of washable stretch cotton gloves from France that were pink with white polka dots, tan with pink polka dots, black with green polka dots and white with black polka dots. They went with everything and I didn’t have to wear acrylic to go to market. I’ve also owned small leather Asian umbrellas and even a few old Ralph Lauren on 1st dibs, that I used as parasols for rain, sun, and chem trails.
why do you think the audience still IS there for music, film, literature, even cars, computers, but less so for fashion? (and ballet ?)
@@alphadream953 My theory is the economics of it. Though, honestly, I would argue that every industry is experiencing a drought or dilution of creativity and craftsmanship, I think fashion is hit particularly hard because the environments and culture that used to sustain it are all but obliterated, and clothing is, for the most part, perfected. Think of it this way, where would someone wear haute couture now? Galas don't really exist anymore. Most places don't have dress codes. There is way more new money, and they don't care. Steve Jobs is praised for wearing the same ordinary thing (very few people know his black sweaters were Issey). I had guy in finance who made well above 6 figures complain about having to spend $50 on a sweater for his girlfriend. He said he found the identical one on Amazon for $30 later. Honestly, a suit that cost $200 vs one that cost $2000 isn't really all that different in terms of quality if you know what to look for. Same can't be said with the rest of those industries.
@@laralynellsworth The term is Sunday best!
I've never thought about it, but you hit the nail on the head why I'm so drawn to historical, maximalist, and alternative fashions. I live in an area that's aggressively casual and I've always thought it was strange how people could just completely forgo accessories, but I'm realizing I was the kind of kid who'd make stuff, and a lot of mine are either passed down, vintage, secondhand, or the result of little poking around and holding on to things for years; in the mainstream, a lot of things don't come back, much less with same amount of knowledge and craftsmanship behind it. Everyone I follow who I think is knocking it out of the park is either selling/wearing vintage and/or making and altering their own clothes, and trying to bridge some of gap in knowledge and accessibility in their own time.
I see Couture as an art form, and I believe that people would like to be able to enjoy and fully ‘finished ‘ work . To me it’s like going to an art show and seeing half painted work . It’s disappointing and dissatisfying , which only causes people to lose interest yk
if it truly is art then it is subjective, it's finished if the designer says it's finished, if you wanna talk about craftmanship, thats a whole nother story, completely different concepts imo
And HOW can you tell if a painting is finished yet or not?
@@alphadream953 I agree that art is subjective however a defining part of an art piece is intent. For the Balmain show for example it was clear that none of the safety pins were meant to be there, in that sense we can tell that it’s unrefined or unfinished
So I think that the original comment has a good point
@@Sokhnalabs you say that 'it is clear' but how do you really know ... I guess they probably won't sell it like that but idunno the artist shows you what they want to show you.... or it was a rush job that wasnt finished on time ... youll never rly know right?
@alphadream ; yes, I’m an artist who uses negative space in my paintings, it’s part of my style & messaging. Most of the people who come to my shows seem to enjoy them 🤷🏻♂️
If someone overlooks pieces that look “unfinished”, I probably don’t wanna engage w them lol.
As a fashion design student who did an unpaid internship at an haute couture company, I have mixed feelings about this. I love the creativity and craftsmanship that goes into it. But the working conditions suck (at least at the company where I was. It was quite a small one, not one of the big ones). There were 20 unpaid interns working full time and a lot of overtime and only around seven actual employees. It's not a well paid field to work in either and people work way more than 8 hours a day. (There were a couple of times dresses had to get finished and people worked for 24 hours straight...) I think it's sad that the bad working conditions are barely considered. The brands should at least make enough to pay their employees properly and get enough proper employees in the first place and not unpaid interns.
oh dear, i wasn't aware that was allowed. i always thought you needed at least 20 *paid* full-time employees to qualify for being a haute couture house. that's horrible.
Question: how can an haute couture company be a small one? I mean the cost to produce a collection is astronomical, not to mention there are tonnes of conditions a house has to meet before being accepted in the Haute Couture association (like have an atelier in Paris employing at least something something number of couturiers...)
As a hair and makeup Artist in this industry, we have the same experience. I love the garments, the show, the red carpet, etc. I don’t love being used, and abused, just for pics and film reels in my portfolio.
I want Haute Couture to be an example of the best that humans can achieve in the making of clothes. it should be filled with imagination that is only equaled by the effort that goes into the creation of the designs.
i think it should morph into something else, maybe something more meaningful and closer to people. fashion houses are trying way too hard to innovate and be experimental, to the point where experimental is the new basic and they just look like they're competing in who gets the most attention, while the expected quality of clothes is on the decline..
ay thanks for the likes!!
I think it's a product of the constant demand for MORE out of fashion houses. Personally I'd much rather see houses settle into a few techniques/silhouettes/materials than to put them under pressure to create something innovative every season. It's not as easy as jsut telling the whole industry to pump the breaks obv, but to Bliss's point about being discerning consumers, we also need to show our support to the houses that are pursing specific and long term visions
This is very well said
@@electronclouds8280 exactly bro
I grew up in a very wealthy area and a lot of my family's friends could effortlessly afford Haute Couture, but don't buy it for a few reasons.
1. They want to fit in and/or show off which means buying what other people know is expensive which is designer ready-to-wear, fine jewelry, or branded bags. The majority of these women who say they are into fashion wouldn't be able to notice or see the difference between Haute Couture and ready-to-wear.
2. Buying a single 100k dress that they can only wear once is something that their own husbands would think is stupid. 100k on a wardrobe for themselves and their kids, no problem. 100k for one garment? Waste of money that could buy a portion of a nice new car, a downpayment on a small holiday apartment or a nice holiday itself.
3. It's time-consuming to get because you have to watch shows closely, build relationships with fashion houses so you can reserve the best pieces and then go for multiple fittings that may be in a foreign country. A lot of these women do not work, but it doesn't mean they have lots of time. They have households to manage, trips to organize, kids' activities to plan and parties to host/attend.
Lmao, "a portion of a nice car" had me lie down and count to ten.
I think that this comes down to the level of conaisseurship or lack thereof mentioned bei Leibowitz.
If you gave me excess amounts of money I would get all the custom suits, peccary gloves, leather shoes and umbrellas in the world. Because I know enough about those trades to be able to appreciate the artisanship and uniqueness of each item, even if I'm still comparatively blind to leather quality and the likes, when talking to masters.
This seems to boil down to the old money vs new money divide. Old money folks probably witnessed people talking about quality pieces, they visited tailors and were told to have their jackets altered or replaced if only they had gotten a tad too tight or short.
New money probably just starts spending out of ecstasy (I mean, haven't most of us been there with our first proper paychecks?) and then either falls into hiding it or showing off. Or they neglect clothing in favour of bigger pursuits (ie founding companies, venture capital, real estate). If you haven't gotten the proper "education" (though there must be a line between knowledge and snobbery/s) it takes a lot of work to learn to appreciate those artforms. Be it watching shows or reading up on menswear, I totally get your last point. Off-the rack is conventient, regardless of the price range.
well in that case, buying a 100k dress is for the VERY wealthy, the insanely wealthy. No one with that kind of money would think 100k for a dress is stupid. They wouldn't care.
@@odinxrk1424 The very wealthy are usually "frugal" which is how they became/keep being wealthy.
With most people that have the level of wealth to easily afford 100k dress they either know its just not a smart financial decision or they are in a different social class were showing just isnt important anymore.
And most people just cant differentiate between a nice ready to wear and real haught couture so why even bother?
@@Amphibax Hard disagree. Being "high society" is not JUST about being rich, but about being a socialite.
That's why football players will never be allowed in those circles.
And so as mentioned by Bernard Arnault, by buying haute couture, you're not buying a dress to wear... you're rather making a statement.
Biiiig difference. You're basically saying to your other rich friends : " I'm so unique and better than you, that I'm wearing something unique in the universe right now".
I think you nailed it in that a highly discerning audience inherently demands greatness from the house, which helps these teams of creators by giving a more clear sense of direction based on what is responded best to. However, I think the decline of Haute Couture is less of a complete disappearance from the scene, and more of a shifting of the presentation towards the general audience (not only connoisseurs).
I think this is evident in modern runway shows in the "runway-only" pieces. We see at each new runway showing a selection of what will be offered, but more to the point there is also a showing of what CAN be offered which seems to be the very heart of Haute Couture. Perhaps not the greatest example, but take the airplane shaped bags and 3D skyline coats of Louis Vuitton, of course these are not meant to be the must-have pieces of the season, but they do help in the story telling of the show, and they also convey a level of craftsmanship and design that their more regular work cannot. I think this example can highlight that the more extreme ends of craftsmanship the Haute Couture demands are still present, but the way they are presented to us is very different from the past.
I will have to mull on this a bit and come back to discuss it more but that is my immediate take away, I think Haute Couture at it's very soul still exists, but it's now being presented to a general audience rather than a highly discerning one. I think this makes it more difficult for a house to gather a meaningful response from the consumers, but as you mentioned, I think that by demonstrating precisely what we want to see more of in terms of the highest end of design and execution, we will slowly pave the road for houses to show to a more studied crowd and perhaps a return of Haute Couture shows.
yeah rn the audience is just like:
🔥🔥🔥🔥
which doesn’t even offer specific praise about why someone is enjoying this work. It’s very unhelpful when everything is 🔥
I like what you mentioned about how the storytelling pieces are often the places where houses have more room to show off their craft! I wish that there wasn't so much financial pressure on houses so that we could see houses focusing on developing narratives and using those stories to showcase their techniques and craftsmanship
Carmen Mayrink Veiga was an extremely wealth Brazilian socialite and aristocrat. She wore couture for her whole life and was a close friend to Hubert de Givenchy. She died in 2017. I remember one quote of her in regards to haute couture and the death of it and she says something about the circumstances in with one would wear couture didn’t exist anymore, hunts, balls, etc. It makes sense as the number of couture clients has come down as the wealth concentration has gone up.
I think haute couture is my favourite area of fashion as it allows designers to be more experimental. That being said I also think that if couture was not just analysed critically but actually worn by more people that might lead houses to fix some of the issues you mentioned. Imagine if couture catwalk looks had to stand up as wearable clothing as well as an artsy advertisement.
As for your theory about why haute couture declined, the shifting political landscape may have had something to do with it but I've heard that a bigger factor was the increase in workers pay and rights (and probably the increase in employment opportunities for women). There was also the cultural shift of the "youth-quake" of the 1960s; haute couture just wasn't fast or trendy enough for a youth-oriented cultural landscape.
Honestly, I think the most important thing for me is that haute couture is the art of fashion. The idea of it being used as marketing for a brand more than actually selling it is a genius way to keep the artists who design clothes employed so we have good ready to wear stuff coming out all the time
Well said*+
Fran Lebowitz, okay, now I see why your videos were suggested to me. I’m in my sixties and have chased these topics my whole life. My friends and I used to buy couture pieces second hand and take them apart and replicate them. Then I’d turn around and teach classes (often for zero compensation) in these techniques- to accountants, judges, disaffected quilters, former cosplay kids, anyone at all who wanted an off-the-wall version of a Chanel jacket could come to me to learn how. I was all about the technique. I did that insane beadwork in department store alterations departments and high end bridal boutiques. I made custom formal wear-gowns, cocktail dresses. It was fun.
You look young. I lived in Washington DC, and in my opinion what killed couture there was the 2007-8 crash, even though real estate prices actually went up there under Obama’s aggressive federal hiring. But folks felt guilty wearing a thousand dollar whiff of a jacket when the news was filled with people sleeping in their cars.
With the current post-Covid mess in Europe, you can be certain the elites who meet in Davos have no use for haute couture. People like us will have no right to beautiful things. In a world of “you’ll own nothing and be happy” there’s no room for a pair of pants that feel perfect for your own body.
Spandex will be the uniform forever. (It already is. Yuck.)
I study art history and I like to make clothes from time to time. Its difficult to approach fashion the same way you do painting. I think baudelaires idea of the modern painter can be applied to many things. It's the idea that an art work should be eternal yet anchored in it's time to actually be modern. I think that's what haute couture misses now. They tend to focus so much on being the newest shiniest thing that they belong to no timeline at all. Completely outside of what anyone might wear around the time of production, but still alien to it's own history because of the hyper self awareness of the modern art world
Late to this. Haute Couture still exists- just not really in Europe anymore. And that's not a bad thing. There are now designers in South Africa, Australia, India, China and Latin America that are doing gorgeous, well shaped clothing.
For real! Lebanese designers now make up 25% of the official haute couture calendar in Paris. And there’s a ton of houses that do great work all over the world 💫💫
A well designed, well made piece of clothing is a luxury few people understand and that is a shame. From the choice of fabric, stitching, buttons, the cut and all of the extra details that go into making a beautiful garment is an art form in itself. It can elevate the experience of wearing something that has been thoroughly crafted. Couture is the gold standard for clothing.
I’m so happy that you mentioned how important a discerning audience is to art
It’s like modernity is it’s own poison because we’re all overdosing on the democracy of the internet; there are no gates but that shouldn’t mean we have to “gatekeep” shit.
We really need to start respecting each others tastes more before anything starts getting good again!!
Took the words right out my mouth🙏🏽
For me, couture is effectively art just as you see paintings hanging in a museum, sculptures or video installations etc. The practical value might be easy to miss but It's inspiration and thought provoking and like leibovitz said that's probably as important (if somewhat brutal and nerve grinding on the models and designers 😅). I know from my music and dj'ing that it's infinitely more rewarding to deliver something for discerning listeners and dancers. They are, and sadly probably will be, few and far in between, but they do exist! This is why brands like Miyake, CDG, Hamcus and others are so important: actually wearable and kind of practical if put together right, but definitely artistic. It's that everyday magic and alchemy that can be so transformative and elevating, or at the very least get people talking and exercising their minds beyond the pragmatic.
I agree, wearing a Rembrant or a Pollock would be awsome. Absolute pleasure and fantasy.
Thank you for the Fran Leibowitz excerpt. She is spot on as always.
Also thank you for your work which I enjoy a lot and that brings me back to a major passion of my youth: fashion. (And yes, I grew up in Paris).
On the Haute Couture topic: imho Iris van Herpen is proof that haute couture needs to embrace the techniques and technologies of today in order to continue to generate its share of dreams. Traditional Haute Couture flourished in a different socio-economical context than the one we experience currently. The craftmanship will renew itself through digital tools and new materials, and I am really looking forward to that.
You just got a love when sibling energy pops up in the wild.
I’ve look at it in the same way I look at how architecture has changed. If you look at buildings like the Sistine Chapel or any comparable architectural marvel from that period and compare it to our current architectural feats, there is something mass produced about the way we build. It’s like the shift towards ready-to-wear lines. We’ve seen the barriers into fashion get slowly broken down over the past two centuries or so, and with that, there is less room for opulence for its own sake. It feels like there is less room now for us to do something just to prove that we can, even though that is what lies at the heart of all artistic innovation.
excellent excellent comment
I notice this too. The stonemasonry of the past was incredible. Now we get poured concrete blocks. Life has become so watered-down and un-inspiring.
@@nadias6435 I think there's an element of survivorship bias in this way of thinking. There was just as much uninspired, made-to-live-in architecture in the past, but no one preserved it. Of course what we see of the past is the incredible masonry and the Sistine Chapel, because those things were deemed worth preserving. People are still creating new, innovative and incredible things today - it's just harder to see it amid all the noise.
@@nadias6435 I think it’s important to consider *why* this is the case though. The sole reason buildings like the sistine chapel and the notre dame etc were able to be built is because 1. They had the money for it 2. They had the manpower 3. They had the power to make it happen 4. They thought it was worth the effort. They had the money because they had no problem spending billions of tax payers money on a fancy building rather than affordable housing or food for the common people. They had the manpower because they had no problem making poor people slave away every day for next to no compensation in horrendous conditions; and because nobody did anything to stop it. They thought it was worth the effort because these buildings were powersymbols. Religious and political leaders needed them because they demanded respect and worked as a visual representation of how huge and powerful these people or religions were, which is needed when you want to keep millions of people in check and under your control. These huge and insanely intricate buildings were made to make you, the common person, feel small and insignificant. The reason we do not have this today isn’t necessarily because life is watered-down or uninspiring but because it simply is not possible anymore, unless we want to go back to slavery I guess haha
Having personally witnessed an industry / artform take its dying breath, I'd like to propose another reason for skills getting lost:
Gatekeeping and monopolies. Long-established companies are often keeping crafts alive in all their facets and complications because they usually have huge archives, masters teaching others their craft and a brand name to ensure sales for their main product line, financing the artform.
Back during the times of an employer market, employers were very picky with who they'd take in for an apprenticeship and it was expected that the workers appreciated their employment and honored the brand.
Several global developments changed that:
The rise of global competition, outsourcing to eastern European and Asian countries, a run on higher education, lower birth rates, workers rights, fast fashion and ever accelerating trend cycles with lowered life span of a product... left many old companies clueless as to what to do.
Outcome one: What you hear is that nobody's willing to buy it. Noone is willing to learn their craft, paired with an oh so brave "but we will continue until none of us are left". Without ever having had an online shop. Without ever having reached out online to make educational videos. Without contacting schools, without analysing their product portfolio, no employee incentives, no helping young people go to evening school (it's for free if certain criteria are met), no work shops, no open house days.
Outcome two: Scale business like a good economist and find new shareholders. [Insert Video above: haute couture as a marketing strategy]. Tragically the system is based on ever exceeding profits. Eventually the amount of wearable HC clothes finished will be fewer and fewer and eventually it will resemble a graduating class' project: Cut down to what will get you to pass as lucratively as possible. Smaller businesses will scrub that particular product line and larger one's will focus on cost reduction or completely cut it.
Poses the question: What about the Art and the Artist? Some are leaving for retail jobs. Some stack groceries.
But the problem is that our system does a poor job at valuing art just by virtue of its existance, which I think it deserves. And the responsibility of keeping it alive is placed in the hands of a few who have the - in our society - much greater responsibility of realising profits for their shareholders. Yes, they are currently keeping it alive but only because the system is still rewarding that. A system which in itself has caused the death of all the other players.
So yeah. I guess do show interest in their HC shows so that the managers recognise them as essential to brand recognition. I'm sorry if this sounds bleak but without wanting to reveal too much detail I can tell you that I was about 6-7 years late, to make a change.
Thank you for your comment, I feel so much better informed for reading it. As for the bleakness, I guess we just have to take solace in the notion that there is no such thing as death really, only transformation 🌩🙏🏻🌈
My best friend trained in couture techniques. I wish so much to see it come back. It's ART. I love art. I love WEARABLE art. I love how wacky it is. I miss the intense ass shows.
The way you explained it about Dior Haute Couture is like car companies and their halo cars. Is Mercedes losing money on every $1MM super car? Yes! But will they make money on the C-classes they sell because people aspire to one day own that $1MM car? Yes.
It's pretty much like that way even in high-street stores, and it is a pretty fundamental part of retailing. Even in mid market fashion, you'll have part of your assortment that is basically "window dressing" - low volume, higher cost items that there to attract customers to come into the store. Once you get customers into the store, you have a much better chance of ensuring that buy at least SOMETHING. If they never enter to begin with...well, you will be permanently out of luck.
Maybe its just PR, but the people that go to the fashion shows and are big fans of the brands go there to see the full artistry that they fund with their money, when they buy smaller affordable pieces. Its an art and should be treated just like any other piece of art- it should be complete when presented.
I have zero fashion background but I'm a designer. And one other thing I've noticed is this concept of "minimalism" "Efficiency" Etc. Being prioritised when it comes to designing products and brands nowadays that the audience itself doesn't associate opulence with intricacies and things that have taken a lot of labour to craft. I notice this in India, where I am from where things used to be sooo maximal (not that haute couture is meant to only be maximal) but I see brands from my own country strive for this "minimal" Scandinavian aesthetic now and it's so bloooody boring! But hey it's "efficient". People don't want to spend time to look at things. Time is money now and the rich don't want to waste it.
Yeah it a lesser quality for a higher price a lot of the time tho and even made to break after an allotted time
When you brought up Arnault and LVMH it occurred to me that these houses almost operate like airlines. I remember a while ago reading about how for a commercial flight, its airline is making almost as much money on the 10 First Class seats as the rest of the aircraft, if not more.
So, as far as haute couture being an advertisement, and the number of client dwindling, one might argue all they need is to sell literally a handful of their $100,000 dresses and call it a day, versus the "countless" Made-in-Portugal graphic print cotton t-shirts. I realize this isn't the best analogy but this is my brain and its intrusive thoughts, lol.
unfortunately in the fashion industry, the lower priced products like t shirts and accessories have far higher margins than those "halo car" kind of products. even if you sold dresses at 100k, how many would you need to sell before making back all the time that goes into the design and hours of painstaken detail before making a profit. Mass producted products just make sense when you look at the profit motive
@@iop223 they probably aren’t making a profit off the couture lines but they can afford not making profit, or even lose money, because the ready-to-wear is there to bring in the cash
The fact that any couture presentation has a deadline is absurd.
I think couture should be more focused on being a piece of art than a runway clothing accessory.
Also, to speak on the jpg show; having visible pins on the runway really shouldn’t happen. Especially on a couture runway show. If the whole point of couture is to hand create elegant garments, the designers/team making the clothes should not be on the same time crunch as a regular show and should be able to have the time to finish the clothes. Otherwise, putting unfinished “couture” clothing on the runway because you didnt have time defeats the purpose. In any other forms of high art, you never hear of artists rushed to finish a product by a certain date. Why should those standards not apply to the hardworking people creating wearable art?
This was very insightful! Also best patreon promo I’ve ever seen
I think in some way that u are one of the best fashion critics that i found on this social platform (including istagram and ur patreon ofc) and the way u explain and talk about the fashion and it's industry is just amazing to hear + loving that i can learn some things from you also. Thx Bliss see u in the next video!
thank you for this video ! I did participate a lot on collections when i was living in Paris , as protoypist and draping modelist. I am now be a lecturer in fashion school in china. I would watch Fran Leibovitz clip , her light on the connoisseurship is so mindful, i love it.Your video cross my recommandation wall, seems I am going to watch all of yours. thank you again.
You are singular, thank you for your heart and your curios mind. Love learning from you and always inspired. Your brother seems just as awesome. I have a feeling your family dinners always simmer with laughter and interesting conversations.
I talked about this subject in class today with my history of haute couture teacher and then with one of my friends. I think that fashion is changing, so is haute couture. It is still about the art of the garments and to show what the designers are wanting, but the target group is different and the commands are different. I think that this will be something that haute couture has to go through and with these changes it will be able to survive. Maybe even just in the metaverse (like nft’s) as something we can’t reach but will always be there. I am curious to see where the future of haute couture is going.
I will not stop multitasking. I’m busy sewing and making my own clothes as well as working on Christmas gifts since you can never start to early in the year! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Enjoying this channel immensely. I am a newbie to fashion and couture and am learning more on this channel than any other. Thank you're!
You are so welcome! I’d love to hear your thoughts as you go thru the videos! We have some excellent coverage of Paris fashion week that we recently put out 🦾
I know I’m in auntie, but I remember when New York Public tv would show NY fashion week. It was the highlight of the season. It made me look at fashion differently. I couldn’t afford a stitch of it, even much of the “regular” fashion, but It made me research haute couture.
I don’t know if we get the same excitement with social media even though we should -social media is driven to be more personally in your face- or feed, so to speak, but we have a tendency to lose passion for what we don’t have to sacrifice to see.
Haute Couture is surely the time for designers to dream and to invite us to share their visions, aspirations, alchemy, and experimentation. The fact that I don't have the means to purchase and own it ... doesn't dilute the joy I have in viewing it in the same way that I equally covet a Van Cleef and Arpels tie pin, a Gillows of Lancaster chiffonier, or a Mies van der Rohe home ...more than likely attainable only in my dreams. Is it for the status that those items would bring or because I would be caught up and transfixed in the beauty and craftsmanship ... I would genuinely hope the latter. I can't remember where, but I remember reading an article about Betsy Bloomingdale and her obsession with Haute Couture, listing creations from Givenchy, Courreges, and Yves Saint Laurent to name a few....the details she recounted of getting dressed in one of the gowns and how it felt to wear one...you could tell she was intoxicated .... just remembering those moments. You touched on the Gaultier show Bliss and that shambles (not your words) and those IG chasing minutes... for me, it was so far away from the pursuit of excellence in dressmaking, craft, and design. I can't even start comparing that to Iris van Herpen, Schiaparelli, or the stunning presentation from Maison Margiela. Is Haute Couture relevant.. probably not... should these ateliers and craftspeople be cherished.. absolutely... is it about fragrance, handbag sales and IG likes... absolutely. Is Haute Couture dead...probably ...long live Haute Coutre I say .... let's not stop dreaming ....whatever the cost
Here here!
非常有见地。喜欢Bliss最后提出的作为一个高定旁观者的自觉与基本修养。❤from China.
Great video!! Changed my perspective to engage more. Also best sell on the patreon. I’m thinking about it!
I don’t usually like being told what to do but you kept my full attention for 15 minutes, so good job. This was a great introduction to your channel. I subscribed for now. Hope I continue to enjoy your content.
Man this has stimulated a whole other part of my brain. Subscribed!👍
Bliss tu ne fait que m’impressionner, chaque vidéo est meilleur que la dernière
your channel is an absolute must-follow for young fashion students
No sé que activaste en este video pero GRACIAS por hacer posible la traducción simultánea de Google para poder entenderte todo. Tus videos son oro. ❤
This was a surprised when you mention Imelda hahah how strange that i'll find her in your channel. Great channel btw
Interesting opinions. I don’t believe haute couture is over… critics have been saying this since the 1960s. Sine I been involved in haute couture from 2011-2018… and seeing it in the perspective of a client… clients order couture discreetly to acquire the best clothes money can buy. Quality is really the reason to buy couture but there are clients who buy it for superficial reasons (those clients I have always alienated). Also the buying something no one else has has become some thing to covet.
You mention ysl ( who I love) he popularized ready to wear but he was convicted in his belief to continue haute couture as the highest form of his art and to ensure the survival of the craft. At the end of the day he couldn’t leave haute couture i till 2002. There will always be clients that one custom made special items. Most ysl clients back in 2002 would order a suit or smoking. As their first order…. I believe clients want the best a designer has to offer at the best quality!
Excellent commentary and insights. Please keep your insights going and post them. Have you written any books? Your perspective and insight are vital. Thanks for posting!
Yes yes yes, the concepts and showmanship are the most important part to what I need from couture fashion. Indeed it is an advertisement, and it is art. Harshly put, it is a costume created for an impactful show. The technique of finishing garments is such a tiny conversation compared to the huge high turnover rate these houses and design team have allocated to their build time. It’s a monstrous machine, I think your take on this all is great.
First video I've ever watched of yours. It's great. I love fashion and never thought of Haute in this way before, as an ad. Great quick history on the topic. Thanks!
Excellent explanation Bliss Foster, you pointed out a lot of things that sometimes many of us that love Fashion don't know that we don't know! For instance there have been few Haute Couture Shows were I have not been impressed with but I wonder if the brand is designing for their true customers. Then again the lifestyle alone of those who can afford Haute Couture is a different reality of the average person. Thank you for all the fantastic content and sharing of information Mister!
Hey Bliss, I just wanted to thank you for putting out the content you do. ❤
You are so welcome! Encouragement means a lot to me, thank you 💫💫
I always wish i could share the poetry that happens in the moments of creating, especially when deconstructing . There is so much there. Thank you for inspiring curiosity for the process
Thank you for this amazing video. ❤️
Thank you, Bliss, for existing
Fore me, Haute Couture is a way to enjoy art, craft and storytelling. The way to express feelings, symbols, inspiration in clothing is so unique. The way feelings are getting alive through clothing and models is wonderful. I would love to see more artist to have the possibility to show they feelings through Haute Couture.
idk i think you can do all of that in regular runway shows
@@vojin7218 There are few runways on that level. But true runways can also be that.
how does this guy only have 166k subs its insane. Thank you for all of your knowledge bro :)
Haha thanks homie 😌
I have nothing to say Bliss. I watch every video you publish and I think you are amazing at what you do!
That means the world to me, Tonie. Thank you 🙏🙏
Great video!
Regarding the decline of HC from the late 60's onward, there might be other historical dynamics at play (ALSO not substantiated by footnotes, just random ideas):
-1° A general postwar fascination and enthusiasm for standardized, serialized products, which made the handcrafted nature of HC appear passé. Mass-production was actually highly desirable for a lot of people, for owning mass consumption goods meant belonging to the middle-class. Serialization was even a trendy concept on the art market in the late 60s/early 70s (see pop art for instance). To that extent, couture could appear less desirable, both for those who could afford it and as an object of unattainable fantasy for the fashion-conscious section of the middle classes.
-2° Women's liberation: the need for women not to be constrained in their movements, to play an active part in society, to reveal parts of their bodies that were previously deemed shameful to display might have contributed to make couture seem irrelevant. Complex, constraining, unpractical garments which fetishized overt femininity were hardly compatible with the needs and desires of many women, privileged or not, who wanted to be out an active in the world.
-3° Youth (sub)-cultures: the coming of age of the baby boomers from the early 1960s onward fosters a dramatic cultural shift. Young people become a massive market segment, which largely benefited from a level of wealth and prosperity that is hard to imagine today. HC as a craft, a way of life, a way to dress, did not echo the needs, wishes and sense of cool of the new generation. From 1968 onward, baby boomers will also start occupying very prominent positions, both in the public and the private sectors, partly replacing the old political and economic elites which supported HC as a market.
-4°: The oil crisis of 1973, which opened a time of restriction/austerity that were maybe hardly compatible with the over luxurious/opulent glamour of HC.
These are just possibilities, I have no idea whether they make sense :) Keep up the good work anyway!
This is the second video of yours that I have watched after the one on Prada and Italian Fascism (which was really good) and all I have to say is: until 15 minutes ago, I had no idea how haute couture was pronounced (French phonology is silly). Good vid.
Great point about audience development. Good theater has struggled and suffers the same issue. Also, the techniques and methods of clothing construction were once a part of every school curriculum! And let’s talk about museums and clothing - how often do we the general public have great exhibitions like the met gala or other exhibits (v&a, Tokyo institute, Ontario Textile museum or shoe museum to get up close to the marvels of haute couture. This is where the artists go for inspiration
Iris van herpen, guo pei and valentino are tbh the only fashion brands i pay attention to, i also fully buy vintage except for shoes so even ready to wear feels inaccessable af
New subscriber, I just found your channel. I look forward to catching up on content. Love from Huntsville, Alabama , USA.
this my third video from u and ima def subscribe i like the way you convey the information presented its concise and builds a narrative, thanks for the great content
I think there might be a potential thread to haute couture that’s coming from the outside of fashion industry. Nowadays make-up and skincare market is so expanded that many of it’s customers don’t care about some companies’ fashion roots. Lots of people are willing to buy blush from Dior because it is viral not because they find Maria Grazia Churi’s work exciting. Although because Dior as a brand is aspirational they can charge more for their cosmetics (and that status was achieved with existence of haute couture)
Lol as I multitask. Thanks for bringing me back. I am enjoying this video. Thank you.
great vid as always!!!
Illustrator/Designer Michaele Vollbracht was talking about the death of Haute Couture in the early 80's as his house was sadly failing. At his height he dressed Liz Taylor and other celebrities. Known for his delicious illustrative prints. I saw him on a student trip in a Parsons Summer course I took when I was 16.
Thanks Bliss for another thought provoking topic! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Yes the quality of the clothes in ready to wear designer clothing is deteriorating as designers and manufacturers race to meet demand, frantically scrabbling to keep up with this crazy consumption cancer that si many people in developed countries are literally OBSESSED with, hence the rise and rise and rise of foul polluting fast fashion!! HAUTE COUTURE is very important to keep these “high dressmaking skills” alive… because once they go, that is an art and set of human abilities and values that will disappear forever! Passing on these skills is very important to the slow fashion movement! Equally important is that couture serves to remind us all as wearers of clothes that an actual person, a lot of time & enormous environmental resources are behind every single article of clothing that is sold and worn! That the creation of what we wear is important and should be highly valued, not just be purchased and discarded on a whim! Couture represents a value system that could be more properly used to hold the polluting fast fashion to account! Couture should not just be a marketing tool it is emblematic of what fashion should be: a thoughtful imaginative, innovative but deliberate method of self expression, and a requirement to protect ourselves from our environment! I may be idealistic but this is why I believe we need to continue to revere and value the actual amazing skill, labour and resources and that go into producing our clothes and aspire to owning only clothes that are produced ethically and to REPAIR our clothes as they begin to show wear, not just discard to keep up the the trends. COUTURE by necessity due to its cost is ABOVE TREND!! Say NO to fast fashion!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 ( sorry for all the capitalising but as a child of the 60’s the current level of consumerism, these influencers with their crazy “hauling” are quite horrifying as is the thought that couture could actually die🤯😱!
Love your content, keep it up.
Listening to this while in design class
starting fashion school in January… been binge watching your vids! great content and excited for my future journey in fashion (: any other channel recommendations / pods would be great too (:
Just a small comment -I love listening to your videos. You'd make a great professor.
OK. So I have a few remarks/questions.
First one is about definitions. I know that it's always a little bit unclear what is Haute Couture and what isn't, but are you limiting yourself to France and Paris? Just to know if we can include for instance Alta Moda and Alta Sartorial by Dolce & Gabbana in the discussion. Also, do you limit yourself to the core members, do you include the correspondent members, and the guests? Each have a different function, the whole institution wouldn't function without the interaction between the three branches. But depending on what you consider Haute Couture, you'll have a different outlook: if the core Maisons are the guardians of the Haute Couture tradition, they will in turn show a more conservative interpretation of what Haute Couture is (the approach, not necessarily the garments themselves), so in turn focusing on them shows a conservative interpretation of Haute Couture. Widening the definition to correspondent members, guests, or even outside of the Paris circles implies the definition will shift.
Second one: the shift you spoke about from Haute Couture to prêt-à-porter in the 60s is actually also beautifully mirrored in automotive history. From the beginning of automotive design until the 1960s, the most demanding clients could have their preferred technical base (chassis) be clothed according to their individual taste by coachbuilders. Brands would deliver bare frames and engines to the coachbuilder, and out would come some of the most eccentric, imaginative, striking and artistic designs ever. This happened often in England (Mulliner, Tickford), in France (Chapron, Figoni & Falaschi), but perhaps most of all in Italy (Stabilimenti Farina, Zagato, Touring Superleggera, Ghia, Vignale, Scaglietti, Pininfarina...). This meant there was an incredible diversity of interpretations of what an Alfa Romeo, a Bentley, a Delahaye should look like, and today, those cars are some of the most revered by design enthusiasts. But when the 1960s came around, and cars began to be more and more mass produced, most coachbuilders went bankrupt, or changed their activities. It doesn't mean there wasn't any space for luxurious and exclusive machines, but it just wasn't anymore in the custom made way that was most prevalent before WWII. Today, though there is a small but notable resurgence of these companies and of exclusive one-off designs, most cars are 'prêt-à-porter'.
Third one: the discussion around the audience is capital. Art is never made in a void, it always needs to be in dialogue. Sometimes this dialogue happens decades after, an unknown artist suddenly receives the spotlight and his/her work is shown to be groundbreaking, but at some point it needs to be received. Just like any communication, just like the most basic aspects of sound for instance (a source, a medium, and a receptor). Maybe we should widen our focus a bit, not just think of the artist as a source, or fashion/Haute Couture as a medium, but also of us, as the receptors/receivers.
Fourth one: I'm going to blow a door that's already open, but Haute Couture means different things depending on the brand. The heritage Haute Couture of Chanel will not be the same as the surreal one from Schiaparelli, which in turn will have nothing to do with Margiela's or Iris Van Herpen's innovations, neither of which speak the same language as Elie Saab's ultra-femininity. So, what is Haute Couture? To me it boils down to craft of the highest magnitude, in a very exclusive and gate-kept context (for the creators, which is not necessarily always a bad thing), with a specific method, procedure, protocol, etc. It could be understood as a concept, but first and foremost it's just an institution, which also happens to be the highest fashion in our society. IMO, to apprehend it like that makes it a lot more clearer, although I know there would be tons of critics to raise against what I just said.
Bonus one: OK, I'm keeping Isaac. That Patreon thing was so fun, had to watch it again.
I love this art form. It’s by far on off my favorites. Right up there with music.
As a filo, I love that u said that Imelda Marcos acquired her shoes thru stealing. Basically... Fax.
It’s hard to concentrate on anything but how handsome your are. Happy to be enlightened , and understand the motive behind the French couture culture. Your the whole package, smart, in the know, and assume you modeled. Thank you.
I love your call to action in this video - be discerning, ask brands for information, incite a level of connoisseurship rather than defaulting to passive, visual consumption. Will do. As someone from an art/cultural heritage background, your point about continuing long-running traditions of techniques and knowledge is a really vital one. The preservation of the knowledge and practice of certain skills can only be done effectively by doing. To take an example from another industry, the renovation of Notre Dame in Paris is being done by hand, where possible, so techniques and craftsmanship can be passed on to another generation. Fashion is fortunate to have the opportunity to do this on an annual cycle (without a massive fire or destruction), and while 'history' and 'preservation' cannot be the guiding reason for design choices, it is worth spotlighting alongside the advertising motivations to continuing haute couture.
It is technically your most important video yet.
Simple but deep summary of a fashion industry
there are new younger houses that bring better than some old houses that are slightly more affordable in our time and they are pieces of art and they don't cut out quality which I love.
Ultimately it boils down to the fact that Haute Couture in itself has to be excessive and grand to exist as an art form. Its the most artsy, over the top and challenging fashion can get, which only really appeals to said connoisseurs. The shows and the media buzz around the clothes are what shifted it from the art form it is, towards the commercial interests Arnault established in the 90s. Even with one of the most excessive and artsy couturiers of modern times, Diors couture shows were all still mostly just advertisement for lipsticks and handbags.
And so i think that the whole art form as itself has to shift, if we really want the clothes to be the part of it, that lives on. Because, as of right now, in the state haute couture is in, the focus has shifted too far from what really matters and more so into the direction of acceptance that the true pinnacle of fashion is just an adverstisement costing the houses tens of millions of dollars twice a year, while apparently still being a good investment for them.
Great video, Bliss. I've been sewing for 15 years and one of the first things I learned from my mentor was to be a more discerning consumer. I make about 70% of my own clothing and much of what I see on the runway today is very disappointing when it comes to the actual craftsmanship. I would love to see a resurgence in haute couture (especially with Forbes predicting a 40% increase in millionaires in the next 20(?) years).
Interesting and informative; Thanks 👍
Honestly, it was a very interesting video. The point about the connoisseurship of the audience was spot on and I agree completely.
What up, my potna? love the show! I know you in Atlanta, too!
Love your channel I am now obsessed! Fashion and costume design are my sick and unhealthy obsessions.
i just opened a new tab in my head and than bliss was like dude come back
Okay so such a sick video, love it love it love it, but I want to highlight how incredible Bliss’ awareness of human behaviour is (on many levels but I will highlight one): actively requesting the viewership to come back to the video, cease the distraction, close the extra tabs; this is knowledge and focusing on it is important and sometimes you need to be TOLD to focus. I did. I was watching this in the background while cooking, then was caught by the request to come back and focus so I switched and watched Anthony Fantano review some new singles in the background while my pasta cooked then I came back and I listened, because it was requested of me and I was made conscious of my behaviours and it is so true that I would not have learnt a thing without the request to pay some attention. I’m really glad I was told.
If high-end brands are using pins to secure fabric on haute couture clothing, then is it still worth calling "haute couture"?
I love to see the creativity and attention to detail.
amazing analysis for the haute couture thank you for chile 😜
Fran Leibovitz is right on! The large majority of consumers, including at the luxury houses, are not informed or necessarily interested in quality and craftsmanship. There is a new generational attitude that is best focused on image, hype, and how many likes and flowers one can get. In the two-dimensional world of online with filters, quality is not visible and the importance is unclear. However, to advance art, culture, and technique are important to evolve and to continue to create beauty.
I love you Bliss 💙💙💙
BEST SPONSOR READ EVER! ADORABLE!!!!
I think this is really great. I go to fashion school in nyc, and I know that there are so many students who care, because they are the next generation of designers. I will share this with them, because I think we have the potential to change this.
it's actually a little touching that a top fashion house would admit they couldn't quite get everything finished and missed a few buttonholes
i really have no opinion, but i think you make a really good point in your conclusion about being a more discerning audience, especially bc compared to other art expressions it's easier to discern bc clothes are viewed as more common pieces; but there are parallels, i think, like you have techinques and symbolism in painting that helped the artist express his message, where in clothes you have the same but there is not a culture of learniing about it, at least not anymore, i for instance love to do reviews on my instagram account but it's more an aesthetic review rather than a complete analysis on how the clothes where made and why; so yeah i hoped i got my message through, and thanks for the video, also if you have any resources to study the techniques and what they mean in fashion i'd love that or you could even make videos about it, anyways thank u again :)
I got the popcorn out for this one as soon as I saw the title and thumbnail
Loved this one
New viewer here, thanks for dispelling so clearly what haute couture is. I'm into fashion, but not anything in particular moreso if something is beautiful/ interesting to me I want to know more about it. I've always enjoyed elements of haute couture, but as a pleb from the states it always felt inaccessible. It's exciting to hear that haute couture IS dead, and that there's a big space that could be made for visual artists of all walks and mediums to coalesce and make some big bucks. I appreciate the hope this short video has given me for the possibilities of fashion going forward in this crazy world :)
yea this applies to higher-end rtw as well
nice vid :)
I loved this video. I didn’t see the ‘discerning audience’ bit coming, and that’s something I’ll be thinking about for a while. I wonder if the art/discernment isn’t shifting a bit to other places? To me haute couture is like wild car designs at SEMA - vaguely inspirational for the future of driving etc, but not really open to getting feedback from anyone, just a sort of pie in the sky idea one step farther along than a sketch. We don’t expect them to be drivable. But yeah, then there are the race cars that are based on a certain car brand, engineered like crazy and actually built to perform, and some of those parts or car body lines might show up at the consumer level at some point. Is that runway fashion, maybe? Maybe that level is where the discernment should be aimed? I’m pretty new to all of this so maybe I’m missing something.
But there’s also the smaller team/craftsman level. I’m far more interested in the cars small shops are building, the new fashion designers, the TikTok crafters, and the thoughtful techniques, historical design, and world views coming from this level of things. I feel like I’m not the only one that would rather spend energy watching for details and learning from their work, and less energy on the brands with ‘unlimited’ budgets coming up with fashion that is purely marketing.