COUTURE

Couture (from the French haute couture — 'high sewing') is the summit of the fashion art: exclusive clothing of the highest class, made by hand to order for a specific client to individual measurements. It is not a style in the usual sense but a level of mastery: hundreds of hours of handwork, the most expensive fabrics, embroidery, whole ateliers working on a single dress. In France the title 'haute couture' is legally protected and granted only to a few houses that meet strict criteria. Couture is a laboratory of ideas and a demonstration of the craft's boundless possibilities, where commerce yields to art. Couture pieces are rarely worn every day; they are works of art, museum exhibits and a source of inspiration for the entire fashion industry.