Well, you might have heard that Haute Couture fall 2014 week starts in Paris this Sunday ( For all with an interest a detailed schedule is available at the homepage of the Chambre Syndicale)! Since several years I am trying to follow the presentations and of course the streetstyle as close as possible with the help of live streaming (Dior, Margiela, Valentino), runway photos and of course reviews from my all time favorite fashion writer Suzy Menkes (after her departure from the IHT this year now working for VOGUE). However, I guess many people around are questioning what Haute Couture is all about? No single piece arrives ever in store and there are incredibly few woman, who can afford to buy Couture first hand!
So first and foremost Couture is something incredibly beautiful – It might not be art – but watching such extreme beauty can give you a lot of pleasure (…sure this works not for everyone.).
Second ready to wear is there to set the trends its incredibly fast! Couture on the other hand stays true to the core values of high craftsmanship and longevity. While ready to wear inspires you to stay on trend, Couture inspires to stay classy. If you just think of Karlie Kloss wearing a Chanel fall 2011 Couture gown to the amfAR gala earlier this year. In 2014 it still looks as fabulous as it did in 2011. That’s something thats rarely true for ready to wear. Karlie’s dress has a shape every woman should nail into her mind – because this is the evening dress shape one should go for. Its simple, not too tight or too long, has a cap sleeve, which allows to wear a bra underneath – Just perfect evening wear shape for almost every woman.
Third, besides the general meaning of spotting trends ready to wear also allows to find your favorite looks on the runway and shop for exactly those pieces 6 months later. If you are lucky enough that the piece hasn’t been altered too badly for “mass-production” (…just makes me think of Louis Vuittons Petite Malle bag) or is only available in another market you can actually buy what you saw on the runway! With Couture its different – It is shown at the time the ready to wear pre-collections hit stores, which coincides with a time you start planning your wardrobe for the upcoming season! Sure its not possible to wear Couture exactly the season it came out, at least for most woman, but again chances are that you can find some beautiful Couture ensembles a few years later when shopping vintage, especially in Paris!!!
So let the Haute Couture fall 2014 presentations begin tomorrow! May they be full of beautiful pieces to nurture our classic and timeless fashion aesthetics!
Do you follow the Haute Couture fall 2014 presentations? Which shows are you most looking forward to?