Trends in Haute Couture Fashion

Since the days when haute couture collections were introduced by the Italian-born French fashion designer - Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s, haute couture fashion has come a long way. What started as a new type of collection in high fashion resulted in protests on the streets of Paris followed by the introduction of the Haute Couture Week, creating an odd dissonance between fashion and life on the streets of Paris.

Since those days, there have been hundreds of haute couture fashion shows hosted by some of the most innovative designers and brands such as Azzedine Alaia, Daniel Roseberry, Diego Della Valle, Gaurav Gupta, Chanel, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balenziaga, Thom Browne, Elie Saab, and more.

In this era of fast and ready-to-wear fashion where dresses & accessories are mass manufactured and heavily commercialised, it may seem like haute couture has lost its space in the fashion industry. Whereas, the reality is that haute couture fashion has become even more precious and the time tested craftsmanship is dearly loved among the wealthy and ultra-wealthy fashionistas.

Look at some of the eye opening couture shows of 2023 as an example:

• Innovative haute couture designers and brands are cultivating loyal high net-worth clients and building a proper business by selling (very expensive) clothes. For instance, during the fall 2023 Paris Fashion Week, Chanel, Dior and Elie Saab were primarily focused on serving their ultra-rich clientele.

• Haute couture has become like a dream or an experience through which brands are selling more perfumes and accessories. For instance, at Jean Paul Gaultier and Viktor&Rolf, the main goal is to drive sales of their popular perfumes.

• Haute couture has become like an R&D lab, where designers can use their creativity to develop garments of unusual scale, complexity and creativity which can then inform and inspire an entire Maison or the entire fashion industry. For instance, at Balenciaga, Thom Browne and Schiaparelli, the focus is on creativity, precision of craft and tailoring.

• The 1930's era concepts are being used to inspire women in the 2024's era. This is across all categories such as dresses, sportswear, shoes, jackets, wallets, perfumes, & more. For instance, Pieter Mulier's new presentation for Azzedine Alaia was a sexually aggressive, unabashed assault on the faux propriety that creeps relentlessly into the public debate, shrinking women's rights, gay rights and minority rights generally.

• Exotic locations and landmarks are used for haute couture fashion shows, often holding significance with historic concepts. For instance, Pieter Mulier had rented a bridge over the Seine in Paris for his fashion show (two other designers also booked the same bridge for their shows during the season). A bridge crosses an obstacle to get us from one place to another. His fashion show signified something similar where we start here, as a bourgeois lady, and you end up there as a latex-clad minx.

These are some of the many ways that fashion designers and brands are using historic concepts and age-old traditions of couture to drive different business strategies. Just like pure diamond found among rubbles, the fashion industry will find haute couture to be a timeless treasure trove that can be used as a tool for precisely created fashion (or fashion shows or marketing concepts), just like diamond is used for precision glass cutting.