How were haute couture fashion shows born?
If the fatherhood of haute couture traditionally returns to Charles-Frederick Worth at the end of the nineteenth century, the initiative of the fashion shows that present these prestigious collections would be to Lady Duff Gordon. This British designer at the head of the Lucile house would have been the first to set up fixed-date presentations in the early 1900s.
Photo credit: Imaxtree / Matteo Volta
Others will emulate it until the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris, which decides to set up a "calendar of presentations on live models", a great first in Paris, which will allow to structure the entire profession, all the houses can not be registered to this famous calendar.
What are the conditions to participate in fashion shows?
Having become a real appellation legally protected by the French Federation of Couture, the quality of haute couture is attributed to luxury houses meeting strict criteria, established by the Chambre Syndicale after the war. Result: Haute Couture is a French specificity that can not be found anywhere else.
Thus, applicants must provide evidence of the creation of at least 25 outfits by collection, they must be made by a team of 20 people minimum, by hand, in own workshops of the house. In case of acceptance, the permission to scroll during the fashion week is valid for one year, before being potentially renewed and become permanent.
Note: these admission conditions are gradually becoming more flexible in order to boost the emergence of young creators. Those who do not have the means to open their own premises can take refuge in Designer Apartment , a showroom that houses collections of new talents.
Who are the luxury homes parading?
Each year, there are three types of members: on the one hand, permanent members like Chanel, Christian Dior , Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Margiela , on the other hand, the corresponding foreign members with the image of Versace , Valentino or Elie Saab and finally, guest members like Zuhair Murad or this year clothes that only get parade permission for a year.
The following seasons, they will have to submit their candidacy to the vote of the executive committee of the French Federation of Couture and the Ministry in charge of industry to become a permanent member, as was recently Alexandre Vauthier or Julien Fournié.
