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Chapter 8

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Haute CoutureHaute Couture

Everyday DesignersEveryday Designers

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Chapter Objectives

Discuss haute-couture design houses.

Explain the process of buying haute couture.

Discuss the background of haute couture.

Describe prêt-á-porter and ready-to-wear garments.

Identify some current ready-to-wear designers.

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What Is Haute Couture?

Haute couture, or high fashion, is the branch of the apparel industry that creates the most fashionable, expensive, and exclusive designer clothing.

In the couture segment of the industry, designers have fashion houses where haute couture is created, mainly in Paris, France.

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What Is Haute Couture?

In France, the Fédération Française de la Couture determines the requirements for haute- couture designers.

Fédération Française de la Couture the French Fashion Federation, the organization that regulates the haute-couture industry

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Federation members are fashion giants.

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What Is Haute Couture?

The three branches of the French Fashion Federation are:

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Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne– Promotes and protects couture houses

Chambre Syndicale de Prêt-á-Porter– Represents ready-to-wear branches of couture

Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine– Represents men’s wear industries of couture

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What Is Haute Couture?

The French Fashion Federation sponsors a school to educate individuals seeking apprenticeships in the couture industry.

The federation also coordinates and schedules fashion shows.

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Purchasing Haute Couture

An individual purchasing a haute-couture design buys a garment that is custom-made.

custom-made made specifically to the customer’s measurements

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Purchasing Haute CoutureThe first step in having a haute-couture garment made is to schedule an appointment with a design house.

vendeuse the haute-couture sales associate who works with a customer and is paid by commission on the clothes that customers purchase

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The customer is assigned a vendeuse.

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Purchasing Haute Couture

A couture house such as Chanel has about 150 regular couture clients each year.

A house such as Dior will make about 20 couture bridal gowns each year.

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Purchasing Haute Couture

It can take 100 to 1,000 hours and thousands of dollars to make a haute-couture garment.

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One dress may cost $26,000 to over $100,000.

A tailored suit may start at

$16,000.

An evening gown may cost over $60,000.

Haute-Couture Costs

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$

Service Workmanshipand labor

Custom-madedesigns

Exclusivedesigns

Specialcolors

Luxuriousfabrics

Expensivetrim work

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The Era of Modern Haute Couture

Charles Frederick Worth is considered the father of haute couture.

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He was the first professional clothing designer for women.

He was one of the first to show samples on live models.

He was the first to have customers come to a design house.

He introduced the hoop skirt and the walking skirt.

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Haute Couture in Today’s World

Today, haute-couture fashion houses produce extravagant outfits, which are seen on the runways but rarely worn in real life.

Only about 2,000 people in the world buy couture clothes.

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Haute Couture in Today’s World

Many designers are leaving the couture world because the customer base is decreasing.

It is becoming extremely expensive to produce fashion shows, present the samples, order fabrics, and have clients sit for three fittings.

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Haute Couture in Today’s World

Despite the small market, designers maintain haute-couture operations because the prestige helps sell other products.

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Why are haute-couture garments so expensive?

Why was Charles Frederick Worth so important in the haute-couture industry?

Why have some designers discontinued creating haute couture?

1.

2.

3.

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Demi-CoutureDemi-couture is a new trend in the couture world.

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demi-couture ready-to-wear designs produced by fashion houses but not mass-produced

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Ready-to-Wear

A bridge line is the most expensive category of ready-to-wear.

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bridge line a secondary line that is the most expensive category of ready-to-wear

ready-to-wear standard-sized garments made in advance and offered for sale to any purchaser

Other categories of ready-to-wear are better, moderate, and budget.

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Ready-to-Wear

The invention of the sewing machine by Elias Howe in 1845, with improvements by Isaac Singer, allowed for volume of production of clothing factories.

Labor-force growth, textile technology, and new methods of distribution and advertising contributed to the rise of ready-to-wear.

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Design Awards

Design awards include:

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Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)– Lifetime Achievement Award– Best New Fashion Talent Award– Perry Ellis Award for Ready-to-Wear and Accessory Design

The Coty Award

The Neiman Marcus Award

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The Importance of Affordable Fashion

More haute-couture designers are moving to ready-to-wear designs for the masses.

The trend toward affordable style will continue, making it possible for more people to enjoy fashionable clothing.

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Influential Designers

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Pierre Cardin

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

André Courrèges

Christian Dior

Mariano Fortuny

Jean-Paul Gaultier

Hubert de Givenchy

Claire McCardell

Mary Quant

Elsa Schiaparelli

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Operating an e-tail business on an electronic channel—the Web—can be costly, due to design, delivery, returns, and operating expenses.

Though Many larger dot-com companies crashed in the 1990’s, small stores like Harris Cyclery of West Newton, Massachusetts, actually increase sales using a basic Web site. Today, a third of Harris’s bicycle business rides in on the Web to get hard-to-find parts and personal service.

Describe an e-business’s home page to your class after viewing one through marketingseries.glencoe.com.

In the past, people who sewed and designers who wanted clothing patterns would flip through large pattern books at fabric stores in order to find patterns.

McCall’s Online

Today pattern catalogs have gone online. McCall’s is a well-established pattern company. Its Web site allows customers to search catalogs online, view completed patterns, analyze sewing and measurement details—and purchase the patterns in a secure online environment.

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For more information, go to marketingseries.glencoe.com.23

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What is demi-couture?

Why is designer ready-to-wear important to fashion houses?

What are three important fashion awards given by the CFDA to designers?

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2.

3.

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1. Identify the industry regulated by the Fédération Française de la Couture.

haute couture 1. appointment scheduled, samples previewed, vendeuse assigned, garments chosen, and three fittings

2. A vendeuse is the sales associate responsible for working with the customer in a haute-couture design house.

3.

continued

Checking Concepts

2. List the basic steps of buying haute couture.

3. Discuss the term vendeuse.

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4. Discuss some task performed by the vendeuse.

Possible answer may be the vendeuse supervises fittings and order taking, and makes sure another customer in the same city does not have the same garment.

4. Haute-couture garments are expensive due to superior service, workmanship, and originality. A specific design or color might be used only by a particular design house. Garments are made with luxurious fabrics and trim.

5. Charles Frederick Worth

6.

continued

Checking Concepts

5. Identify the expenses involved in making haute couture.

6. Name the father of haute couture.

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8. Describe the difference between demi-couture and prêt-à-porter.

Critical Thinking

Checking Concepts

Ready-to-wear garments are standard-sized garments made in advance and offered for sale to any purchaser.

7. Demi-couture garments are ready-to-wear designs produced by fashion houses but not mass-produced as are ready-to-wear garments.

8.7. Describe ready-to-wear garments.