Haute couture - wikipedia Haute couture Pierre Balmain adjusting a dress on model Ruth Ford in 1947 ( photographed by Carl Van Vechten ) A model wearing a haute couture gown by Georges Chakra in 2010 Haute couture ( / ˌoʊt kuːˈtjʊər / ; French pronunciation : ​ ( ot kuˈtyʁ ) ; French for `` high sewing '' or `` high dressmaking '' or `` high fashion '' ) is the creation of exclusive custom - fitted clothing. Haute couture is high - end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high - quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time - consuming, hand - executed techniques. Couture translates literally from French as `` dressmaking '' but may also refer to fashion, sewing, or needlework and is also used as a common abbreviation of haute couture and refers to the same thing in spirit. Haute translates literally to `` high ''. A haute couture garment is often made for a client, tailored specifically for the wearer 's measurements and body stance. Considering the amount of time, money, and skill allotted to each completed piece, haute couture garments are also described as having no price tag : budget is not relevant. The term originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth 's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. The Dapifer notes that Worth would allow his clients to select colors, fabrics and other details before ever beginning his design process which was unheard of at the time. In modern France, haute couture is a protected name that may not be used except by firms that meet certain well - defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high - fashion custom - fitted clothing whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as London, Milan, New York City or Tokyo. In either case, the term can refer to the fashion houses or fashion designers that create exclusive and often trend - setting fashions or to the fashions created. Contents 1 French legal status of term 2 Other uses of the term 3 History 4 Members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture 4.1 Official members 4.2 Correspondent members ( foreign ) 4.3 Guest members 4.4 Jewelry 4.5 Accessories 4.6 Former members 5 Public and private collections 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links French legal status of term This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2015 ) In France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris based in Paris. The chambre syndicale de la haute couture is defined as `` the regulating commission that determines which fashion houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses ''. Their rules state that only `` those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves '' of the label haute couture. The Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne is an association of Parisian couturiers founded in 1868 as an outgrowth of medieval guilds that regulate its members in regard to counterfeiting of styles, dates of openings for collections, number of models presented, relations with press, questions of law and taxes, and promotional activities. Formation of the organization was brought about by Charles Frederick Worth. An affiliated school was organized in 1930 called L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. The school helps bring new designers to help the `` couture '' houses that are still present today. Since 1975, this organization has worked within the Federation Francaise, de couture, du Prêt - à - Porter des Couturiers et des Createurs de Mode. More rigorous criteria for haute couture were established in 1945. To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture must follow specific rules : design made - to - order for private clients, with one or more fittings ; have a workshop ( atelier ) in Paris that employs at least fifteen staff members full - time ; have at least twenty full - time technical people, in at least one workshop ( atelier ) ; and present a collection of at least fifty original designs to the public every fashion season ( twice, in January and July of each year ), of both day and evening garments. Other uses of the term The term `` haute couture '' has taken on further popular meanings referring to non-dressmaking activities, such as production of fine art, music, etc. History This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2015 ) Chanel Haute Couture Fall - Winter 2011 -- 2012 Fashion Show by Karl Lagerfeld Haute couture can be referenced back as early as the 17th Century. Rose Bertin, the French fashion designer to Queen Marie Antoinette, can be credited for bringing fashion and haute couture to French culture. Visitors to Paris brought back clothing that was then copied by local dressmakers. Stylish women also ordered dresses in the latest Parisian fashion to serve as models. As railroads and steamships made European travel easier, it was increasingly common for wealthy women to travel to Paris to shop for clothing and accessories. French fitters and dressmakers were commonly thought to be the best in Europe, and real Parisian garments were considered better than local imitations. A couturier ( French : ( ku. ty. ʁje ) ) is an establishment or person involved in the clothing fashion industry who makes original garments to order for private clients. A couturier may make what is known as haute couture. Such a person usually hires patternmakers and machinists for garment production, and is either employed by exclusive boutiques or is self - employed. The couturier Charles Frederick Worth ( October 13, 1826 -- March 10, 1895 ), is widely considered the father of haute couture as it is known today. Although born in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England, Worth made his mark in the French fashion industry. Revolutionizing how dressmaking had been previously perceived, Worth made it so the dressmaker became the artist of garnishment : a fashion designer. While he created one - of - a-kind designs to please some of his titled or wealthy customers, he is best known for preparing a portfolio of designs that were shown on live models at the House of Worth. Clients selected one model, specified colors and fabrics, and had a duplicate garment tailor - made in Worth 's workshop. Worth combined individual tailoring with a standardization more characteristic of the ready - to - wear clothing industry, which was also developing during this period. Following in Worth 's footsteps were Callot Soeurs, Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin, Chanel, Mainbocher, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, and Dior. Some of these fashion houses still exist today, under the leadership of modern designers. In the 1960s, a group of young designers who had trained under men like Dior and Balenciaga left these established couture houses and opened their own establishments. The most successful of these young designers were Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, André Courrèges, Ted Lapidus, and Emanuel Ungaro. Japanese native and Paris - based Hanae Mori was also successful in establishing her own line. Lacroix is one of the fashion houses to have been started in the late 20th century. Other new houses have included Jean - Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler. Due to the high expenses of producing haute couture collections, Lacroix and Mugler have since ceased their haute couture activities. Modernized haute couture shows are not designed and made to be sold, rather they are exactly what they are displayed for -- for show. Instead of being constructed for the purpose of selling and making money, they are made to further the publicity, as well as perception and understanding of brand image. For all these fashion houses, custom clothing is no longer the main source of income, often costing much more than it earns through direct sales ; it only adds the aura of fashion to their ventures in ready - to - wear clothing and related luxury products such as shoes and perfumes, and licensing ventures that earn greater returns for the company. Excessive commercialization and profit - making can be damaging, however. Cardin, for example, licensed with abandon in the 1980s and his name lost most of its fashionable cachet when anyone could buy Cardin luggage at a discount store. It is their ready - to - wear collections that are available to a wider audience, adding a splash of glamour and the feel of haute couture to more wardrobes. Fashion houses still create custom clothing for publicity, for example providing items to the television show Gossip Girl. The 1960s also featured a revolt against established fashion standards by mods, rockers, and hippies, as well as an increasing internationalization of the fashion scene. Jet travel had spawned a jet set that partied -- and shopped -- just as happily in New York as in Paris. Rich women no longer felt that a Paris dress was necessarily better than one sewn elsewhere. While Paris is still pre-eminent in the fashion world, it is no longer the sole arbiter of fashion. Members of the Chambre Syndicale de la haute couture For the Spring 2017 season the official list of members are : Official members Adeline André -- Alexandre Vauthier -- Alexis Mabille -- Chanel -- Christian Dior -- Franck Sorbier -- Giambattista Valli -- Givenchy -- Jean Paul Gaultier -- Julien Fournié -- Maison Margiela -- Schiaparelli -- Stéphane Rolland -- Yiqing Yin Correspondent members ( foreign ) Armani Privé -- Atelier Versace -- Elie Saab -- Valentino -- Viktor & Rolf Guest members Aouadi -- Dice Kayek -- Georges Hobeika -- Guo Pei -- Ilja -- Ralph & Russo -- Ulyana Sergeenko -- Zuhair Murad -- J. Mendel Jewelry Boucheron -- Chanel Joaillerie -- Chaumet -- Dior Joaillerie -- Van Cleef & Arpels Accessories Loulou de la Falaise -- Massaro -- On aura tout vu Recent guest members have included the fashion houses of Boudicca, Cathy Pill, Richard René and Udo Edling, as well as Eymeric François, Gerald Watelet ( fr ), Nicolas Le Cauchois ( fr ) and Ma Ke ( Wuyong ). In the 2008 / 2009 Fall / Winter Haute Couture week, Emanuel Ungaro showed as an Official Member. Former members Anna May Anne Valérie Hash Balenciaga Callot Soeurs Carven ( fr ) Christian Lacroix Ektor Von Hoffmeister Emilio Pucci Erica Spitulski Erik Tenorio Escada Fred Sathal Gai Mattiolo Germaine Lecomte Grès Guy Laroche Hanae Mori Jacques Fath Jacques Griffe ( fr ) Jacques Heim Jean Patou Jean - Louis Scherrer Jeanne Lafaurie Joseph Lanvin Lecoanet Hemant ( fr ) Lefranc Ferrant Loris Azzaro Louis Féraud Lucien Lelong Lucile Manguin Louise Chéruit Mad Carpentier Madeleine Vionnet Madeleine Vramant Maggy Rouff Mainbocher Mak Shoe Marcel Rochas Marcelle Chaumont Marcelle Dormoy Martial et Armand Nina Ricci Paco Rabanne Paul Poiret Philippe et Gaston Pierre Balmain Pierre Cardin Rabih Kayrouz Ralph Rucci Seraglio Robert Piguet Ted Lapidus Thierry Mugler Sophie Torrente ( fr ) Vera Borea Yves Saint Laurent Public and private collections This section needs expansion with : sourced information on publicly and privately held collections, to expand what appears to be a stray added fact into encyclopedic content. You can help by adding to it. ( July 2015 ) The largest private collection of haute couture may be that of Mouna Ayoub, whose collection is estimated to encompass more than 1,600 items. See also Fashion portal Bespoke Business cluster Designer label Fashion Fashion design Fashion week Fédération française de la couture List of fashion designers List of grands couturiers Luxury brand Prêt - à - porter References ^ Jump up to : `` What Does Couture Mean - Definition and French Translation -- The Dapifer ''. THE DAPIFER. 2017 - 02 - 04. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 10. Jump up ^ `` What is Haute Couture made easy -- The Odd Portrait ''. 29 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` What is Haute Couture ? ''. Retrieved 2011 - 02 - 19. ^ Jump up to : Claire B. Shaeffer ( 2001 ). Couture sewing techniques `` Originating in mid - 19th - century Paris with the designs of an Englishman named Charles Frederick Worth, haute couture represents an archaic tradition of creating garments by hand with painstaking care and precision ''. Taunton Press, 2001 Jump up ^ Pauline Thomas. `` Chambre Syndicale History and Development -- Fashion History ''. Fashion-era.com. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 15. Jump up ^ Calasibetta, C., Tortora, P., & Abling, B. ( 2002 ). The fairchild dictionary of fashion. ( 3rd ed. ). New York, NY : Fairchild Books. Jump up ^ `` Bloomsbury Fashion Central - ''. www.bloomsburyfashioncentral.com. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Wuyong -- Dancing In A Haute Couture Debut The Fashion Blog ''. Fashion-blog.us. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 15. Jump up ^ Steele, Valerie ( 2010 - 01 - 01 ). The Berg companion to fashion. Oxford ( etc. : Berg. ISBN 9781847885630. Jump up ^ Nudelman, Z ( 2009 ). The art of couture sewing. London : Bloomsbury Academic. p. 2. ISBN 1563675390. Retrieved 14 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Merriam - Webster ''. Jump up ^ Jacqueline C. Kent ( 2003 ). Business Builders in Fashion -- Charles Frederick Worth -- The Father of Haute Couture The Oliver Press, Inc., 2003 Jump up ^ End of a fairytale : Christian Lacroix fashion house to strip down - The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2014 Jump up ^ Chevalier, Michel ( 2012 ). Luxury Brand Management. Singapore : John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978 - 1 - 118 - 17176 - 9. Jump up ^ Meltzer, Marisa ( 2013 - 09 - 19 ). `` Get Me Wardrobe ! ''. The New York Times. p. E1. Jump up ^ `` Haute - Couture Spring Summer 2017 Definitive schedule ''. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Calendriers ''. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 03. ^ Jump up to : `` SS2012 Haute Couture Fashion week designers ''. Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Haute - Couture Fall Winter 2009 / 2010 Definitive schedule ''. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Haute - Couture Spring Summer 2008 Definitive schedule ''. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Haute - Couture Fall Winter 2008 / 2009 Definitive schedule ''. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 27. Jump up ^ `` Haute - Couture Spring Summer 2011 Definitive schedule ''. Retrieved 2011 - 02 - 19. Jump up ^ Adamson, Thomas ( 20 February 2014 ). `` Cinderella to Couture Queen : Meet Mouna Ayoub ''. Associated Press. Gennevilliers, France. Retrieved 13 August 2014. `` The Golden Age of Couture ''. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2007 - 09 - 13. `` Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies ''. Victoria and Albert Museum. Fédération française de la couture Christian Dior, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art ( fully available online as PDF ) Madame Grès, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art ( fully available online as PDF ) Further reading Nudelman, Z. ( 2009 ) The Art of Couture Sewing, London, LND, GBR : Bloomsbury Academic, ISBN 1563675390 Shaeffer, Claire B. ( 2011 ) Couture Sewing Techniques, Newtown, CT, USA : Taunton Press, ISBN 1600853358 External links Look up haute couture or couturier in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haute couture. `` Haute Couture '' from Label France, a magazine of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs Haute Couture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 's Timeline of Art History Clothing Historical clothing Traditional and national clothing Tops Blouse Cache - cœur Cardigan Crop top Dress shirt Guayabera Guernsey Halterneck Henley shirt Hoodie Jersey Polo shirt Shirt Sleeveless shirt Sweater Sweater vest T - shirt Tube top Turtleneck Twinset Trousers Bell - bottoms Bermuda shorts Bondage pants Capri pants Cargo pants Chaps Cycling shorts Dress pants High water pants Hotpants Lowrise pants Jeans Jodhpurs Leggings Overall Palazzo pants Parachute pants Pedal pushers Phat pants Shorts Slim - fit pants Sweatpants Windpants Yoga pants Skirts A-line skirt Ballerina skirt Denim skirt Men 's skirts Miniskirt Pencil skirt Prairie skirt Rah - rah skirt Sarong Skort Tutu Wrap Dresses Ball gown Bouffant gown Coatdress Cocktail dress Débutante dress Formal wear Frock Evening gown Gown House dress Jumper Little black dress Princess line Sheath dress Shirtdress Slip dress Strapless dress Sundress Wedding dress Wrap dress Suits and uniforms Academic dress Ball dress Black tie Boilersuit Cleanroom suit Clerical clothing Court dress Gymslip Hazmat suit Jumpsuit Kasaya Lab coat Military uniform Morning dress Onesie Pantsuit Red Sea rig Romper suit School uniform Scrubs Stroller Tuxedo Vestment White tie Outerwear Apron Blazer British Warm Cagoule Cape Chesterfield Coat Covert coat Cut - off Duffel coat Flight jacket Gilet Goggle jacket Guards coat Harrington jacket Hoodie Jacket Jerkin Leather jacket Mess jacket Opera coat Overcoat Parka Paletot Pea coat Poncho Raincoat Robe Safari jacket Shawl Shrug Ski suit Sleeved blanket Smoking jacket Sport coat Trench coat Ulster coat Waistcoat Windbreaker Underwear ( lingerie ) Top Bra Camisole Undershirt Bottom Diaper Panties Plastic pants Slip Thong Underpants Boxer briefs Boxer shorts Midway briefs Briefs Full Adult bodysuit Infant bodysuit Long underwear Playsuit Teddy Footwear Boot Court shoe Dress shoe Flip - flops Hosiery Sandal Shoe Spats Slipper Sneakers Sock Stocking Tights Headwear Baseball cap Beret Cap Fedora Hat Helmet Hood Kerchief Knit cap Toque Turban Veil Neckwear Ascot tie Bow tie Cravat Neckerchief Necktie Scarf Nightwear Babydoll Blanket sleeper Negligee Nightgown Nightshirt Pajamas Swimwear Bikini Burkini Boardshorts Dry suit Monokini One - piece Rash guard Square leg suit Swim briefs Swim diaper Trunks Wetsuit Accessories Belt Coin purse Cufflink Cummerbund Gaiters Glasses Gloves Headband Handbag Jewellery Muff Pocket protector Pocket watch Sash Sunglasses Suspenders Umbrella Wallet Wristwatch See also Activewear Clothing fetish Clothing terminology Costume Cross-dressing Dress code Fashion Haute couture History of clothing See - through clothing Members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture Members Adeline André Anne Valérie Hash Carlota Alfaro Chanel Christian Dior Dominique Sirop Franck Sorbier Givenchy Jean Paul Gaultier Maurizio Galante Stéphane Rolland Yiqing Yin Invited, foreign and guest members See : List of grands couturiers Design Outline Portal Designer Disciplines Communication design Advertising Book design Corporate design Exhibit design Film title design Graphic design Motion Postage stamp design Print design Illustration Information design Instructional design News design Photography Retail design Signage / Traffic sign design Typography / Type design Video design Visual merchandising Environmental design Architecture Architectural lighting design Building design Passive solar Ecological design Environmental impact design Garden design Computer - aided Healthy community design Hotel design Interior architecture Interior design EID Keyline design Landscape architecture Sustainable Landscape design Spatial design Urban design Industrial design Automotive design Automotive suspension design CMF design Corrugated box design Electric guitar design Furniture design Sustainable Hardware interface design Motorcycle design Packaging and labeling Photographic lens design Product design Production design Sensory design Service design Interaction design Experience design EED Game design Level design Video game design Hardware interface design Icon design Immersive design Information design Sonic interaction design User experience design User interface design Web design Other applied arts Public art design Ceramic / glass design Fashion design Costume design Jewelry design Floral design Game art design Property design Scenic design Sound design Stage / set lighting design Textile design Other design & engineering Algorithm design Boiler design Conceptual design Database design Drug design Electrical system design Experimental design Filter design Job design Integrated circuit design Circuit design Physical design Power network design Mechanism design Nuclear weapon design Nucleic acid design Organization design Process design Processor design Protein design Research design Social design Software design Spacecraft design Strategic design Systems design Approaches Activity - 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Question: the person who is considered to be the founder of the paris haute couture was
Answer: Charles Frederick Worth