Images courtesy of History & New York Times
Haute Couture was once honourably a pivotal part of British fashion in the 20th century and played an important part in signifying London as a global fashion capital, setting it apart from European fashion of the time. The namesake location, Bond Street is infamously known for its high-fashion reputation, as once the home of British couturiers, it is now the home to a wealth of the most prestigious, fashion luxury houses.
Paris remains the sacred home of couture, where it first originated in the late 19th century. Haute couture is the most cultivated and esteemed fashion can get, the very height of dressmaking, housing the most exquisite and unparalleled craftsmanship in its ateliers. Nothing compares to the meticulous level of precision and time put into each and every garment. Becoming a couture house is an acclaimed title with diligent rules. While they can change often it is clear that each company must have an atelier in Paris, produce only made-to-order garments that are one-of-a-kind and tailored to fit the client.
Images courtesy of Harpers Bazaar & Vogue
It takes around 150 hours to create just one simplistic couture dress and can cost anything from £8000 to £800,000 depending on just how elaborate the garment is. The final bill will showcase the hours and detail put into each garment to dictate the overall cost.
It was in fact a British designer who instituted the first couture house at 7 rue de la Paix in Paris. Charles Fredrick Worth who is known by many as the father of couture for revolutionising the fashion industry. Couture to this day has to be created in Paris, the Chambre Syndicale honours this as the safeguard of high dressmaking since first established in 1868, 10 years later by Worth. However, despite couture being a Parisian art, global designers can earn the right to label their houses as couture. During the 20th century, Britain became a couture success making clothes for the royal family and elite society, combining intricate dressmaking with skilful tailoring.
Images courtesy of Vogue and Catwalk Yourself
The late 19th century brought couture fashion to Bond Street, as heading to a couturier became an elite social activity in Britain. From 1916 to the late 1920s two London couture houses, Lucile and Reville became the first to be seen as equal to Parisian couturiers for their originality. From the 1930s to the 1940s London began forming societies to push British fashion globally from the Fashion Group of Great Britain to the Society of London Fashion Designers, helping to define London as a fashion capital.
The royal family were a huge part in the rise of British couture, in 1947 Princess Elizabeth wore a silk wedding dress embellished with pearls, designed by Sir Norman Hartnell who became a successful couturier, renowned for turning into the royal family's dressmaker.
Image courtesy of Time
The 1950s was the height of haute couture in Britain, the lavish style gained pinnacle popularity following rationing, in a post-war setting. There were now around 500 couturiers worldwide and around 2000 to 5000 customers coming to London houses. Couture went from a client's vision brought to life by the couturier as a collaborative process to the fashion house proposing ideas and designs, no longer working to the customer's individual desires.
However, couture lost its thrill and importance during the 1960s as the mass market expanded and the high-fashion, intricate looks were mindlessly copied by the high street. While knowledgeable fashion lovers could tell the difference, the public saw it all as the same. By 1975 there were only four designers left in Britain's Society of Fashion Designers, leaving it to later dissolve completely. One of those members was Hardy Amies who was treasured as Queen Elizabeth the second's dressmaker for 50 years. Couture continued to live on throughout the royal family in Britain.
Images courtesy of Daily Mail & Catalogue of Royal Fashion
Designers we know today such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood continued to make British fashion relevant, as Vivienne Westwood the fashion house still holds bridal couture to this day, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen both worked at French couture houses showcasing British talent.
Now, British fashion prospers in ready-to-wear collections, as there are now only 16 houses legally eligible to use the name haute couture. The rules now stand as, the fashion house must hold at least one fitting, present 50 looks each year and continue to hire staff in their Parisian atelier. Members today consist of fashion houses like Christian Dior, Schiaparelli and Jean Paul Gaultier.
Take a look at John Galliano and Alexander McQueen in 1997:
All images used in this blog are either copyright free or rightfully credited. Sources can be accessed via the link below each image.
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