It was a real pleasure and pure fun to participate in the following quiz and highly recommend you to make it. Afterwards you will find out how well you know haute couture. Don’t be amazed with the answer. The quiz’s interface is funky, bright and attractive. Go on!

Claudia Schiffer looked a bit unusual (I mean not in her usual way). She has some resemblance to a secretary, but I like her look.

Eva Mendes – the combination is OK, just don’t like her shoes, too much of sparkles and hair-do.

Linda Crater has impressed me. She looks stunning and fresh. Yellow is her colour.

Liv Tyler. Well, like her dress but to my mind, it’s better for her not to leave it somewhere… she can have some problems with all these stripes. 

Who looks the best???

Through this campaign the Haute Couture Icon Louis Vuitton wants to promote the brand itself, and not a specific product. A bag from this brand appears in the entire ad only once and then comes a question: “Where will life take you?” The company is called “the first ever on-screen corporate campaign by a luxury house.”

What I like the most about this ad – there is no Victoria Beckham or Paris Hilton in it, just ordinary people rather than celebrities. Then, it is literally like a breath of a fresh air – so unusual, so simple. It gives the feeling of freedom and distant places.

Also, through it the brand is going to reach new audience in China and other countries.

If you failed to visit the exhibition, please, enjoy the slideshow!!!

Haute couture clothes are expensive and luxurious, in such dresses you will feel yourself like a Queen or one in a million girl. But, there is one more category – ready-to-wear clothes or more known to us as pret-a-porter clothing. More about them…

Modern fashion industry clothes can be divided into two main categories – “haute couture” and “ready-to-wear”. No doubts, couture fashion designers are very popular and are aimed only for extremely wealthy clients, moreover, in order to be able to produce “haute couture clothes” they have to get an official permission from the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture, it is based in Paris. Because of this agreement, designers have to show their collections twice a year and not less than 35 outfits in one collection. As a rule, these outfits are exposed in private salons.

So, now, let’s pay our attention to ready-to-wear clothes. Traditionally, they are made for ordinary people, not for representatives of the upper-class society. This apparel comes in various sizes. Further, these collections can be viewed as designers one. It goes without saying, that such collections can be seen at various catwalks. Also, there is such a notion as confection collections – deal with clothes that we can see and buy in shops. This collections are aimed to satisfy the demands of masses.

A lot of popular and influential brands create exceptionally ready-to-wear collections, but still can make some haute couture clothes upon a special request. So, having seen or heard an announcement that soon this or that designer is going to show his ready-to-wear collection, be sure, in a month or 2 you will be able to buy things from him in his boutique, via email or online sales. Pay attention! An inscription – “Madonna in Dior” and “Madonna in Gaultier couture” means, that in the 1st case Madonna wears ready-to-wear clothes and in the 2nd case she in in haute couture clothes from Gaultier.

It is not a secret, that almost each Fashion house produces ready-to-wear collections. They bring a lot of money and clients, because of a quicker and bigger volume turnover, also, they cost less and many people can afford them. By the way, they look adorable as well. What is more, ready-to-wear clothing is casual, informal, can be worn everyday and is very practical. Ready-to-wear collections are presented at Fashion Weeks.

And, now, one of the most tricky questions, what to choose? Actually, if you budget is low, don’t even try to lean over backwards and to buy such expensive things. But, if you are a doctor, a lawyer or occupy a very high position, please, think about your clothes. Be sure, that your watch, shoes and suit are great, expensive and were bought without season discounts. Why? Because you are working with people, and if you meet one of your clients while looking for a jacket from sales, he will think that your incomes are rather vague and small, so there is no use to visit you once again. Try not to spoil your own reputation.

Also, this week my curiosity was provoked with the unusual and glamorous photos. At the 1st sight, they seemed to be a little bit trite and even too appalling, but after some time I liked them and found them even wondrous. Look with your own eyes, am I right? The photos belong to Marilyn Minter and I found them here. Fashion Orgasm blog is a new discovery of this fall!

Paris Fashion Week. A serious event in the world of fashion, don’t you think so? The same with me. But, unfortunately, I still didn’t make it coverage. I adore people, which are defter than me, so Chanel Autumn/Winter catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week you can enjoy while paying your attention to the Denimology Blog.

This week I was lack of bright details and things, so this small and glamorous bag came to me in time. I just love the colour of leather – it is incredible, Valentino is a top-sawyer and a Bagbliss Blog is a perfect one while looking for a new bag! Thanks!

And, of course, I can’t but to mention, that I have almost forgotten about holidays. How about Halloween celebration? Yeah, celebration is always good and, no doubts, you have already thought about a playboy bunny costume, don’t you? But, thanks to I Am Fashion Blog you can think about a more sophisticated wearing. From Dior, for example!

Have a good week, dear ladies!

Dear fashion-lovers, can you tell me truth: do you like fashion weeks and various fashion shows? The same with me. And, no doubts, you’ve heard such a notion as haute couture? But, do you really know what does it mean? Well, I guess not everybody, because most of my friends, have a vague idea, what it means. Now, we all have a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with it a little bit closer.

So, to start with, let’s find out, what haute couture is.

Such a sophisticated phrase can be easily interpreted from French to English as HIGH FASHION. Actually, couture means to sew, to make clothes, to create things and haute is something that is elegant, excellent or high. Haute couture clothes are hand made by leading fashion houses. As a rule, each haute couture thing is made in a strict accordance with person shape and curves.

Cost of haute couture clothes

Do you remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch? So, don’t even try to find one. Of course, the price depends on many factors, such as popularity of brand, sophistication of designing and so on, but, to tell the truth, you will hardly find a thing, cheaper than £10,000. As a rule, each item price goes higher than £50,000. If you are not a daughter of Bill Gates, definitely, it seems to be completely unexplainable, how a person can spend more than £50,000 for a single dress. But, here we deal with status and luxury, exclusiveness and innovative designing, not with a sum of money. For example, Chanel couture house has more than 150 regular clients.

Fabrics for haute couture clothes

Truly speaking, fabrics are extremely expensive. They are mainly: expensive silks, cashmeres, linens, cottons, suede, leather and, of course, all kind of furs. Moreover, a designer can need only a special colour of fabric.

Creating of haute couture clothes

As you already know, haute couture clothes are made from highly expensive fabrics, so in order not to spoil even a meter of it, fashion designers make samples of garments, or so called toiles. The cutting and the finishing is made in one room and there is always a manageress, that is responsible for this garment exclusiveness (thus, she must keep its design it a secret).

The seamy side of haute couture

It is not a surprise, that haute couture industry is not a flourishing industry at all. Just calculate, how much time, efforts and people are needed in order to create a single garment? But, fashion houses still make expansive extraordinary shows and sales only a limited number of garments. So, what is it all about? It is all about prestige and chic and also, it is a some kind of advertising campaign. They sell a dream, a dream, that a person (if he or she can afford to buy such a thing) is really cool and all-mighty and, what is more, can possess and expensive elite garment or a bottle of fragrance, isn’t it cool to feel yourself one in a million?

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]]> http://chicstories.com/history/introduction-in-haute-couture/feed/ 11 http://chicstories.com/history/christian-lacroix/ http://chicstories.com/history/christian-lacroix/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:46:46 +0000 angel http://chicstories.com/designers/christian-lacroix/ Christian Lacroix is a famous fashion designer, that produces everything starting from clothes and ending with accessories and perfumes.

Christian Lacroix (date of birth – 16th of May 1951, place of birth – France and astrological sign – Taurus). Childhood of the future clothes design genius went in a rather exciting way, it was so multisided – the Camargue beaches, Gallo-Roman ruins and WWII bombings, various opera festivals, museums exhibitions, different books. He adored Oscar Wilde and the Beatles, to his beloved cities belonged: Venice and Barcelona. But, Christian studied at the University of Montpellier. Later he goes on with his studies and moves to Paris, he was aimed to become a museum curator.

But, everything has changed greatly with the appearing of the following people in Christian Lacroix life. First of all, a beautiful woman – Franoise, she became his muse, his wife, his inspiration, namely she made him draw and let him in the secrets of Paris. Jean-Jacques Picart – became his supporter and advisor (he was a press attache to several designers and Fashion Houses) and moreover, Jean found Christian a job at Hermes.

Since 1981 he started working for Jean Patou House and even was put in charge of Haute Couture (that days, some people tends to the point of view, that Haute Couture will die very soon).  But, the two designers made a success and year by year were gaining popularity and in January 1987 even got an award from the CFDA in New York. Today, he and his fashion house (which is located private in a mansion at 73) is one of the most popular in France and has more than 60 points of sale. Christian also makes costumes for theatre performances.

Vision of fashion

What we can say about his clothes? Bright, interesting, brilliant? It is so trite, so usual. But, as to his fashion vision, it is so gentle, I mean he treats past with respect , also, his collections are influenced by contemporary art, in his haute couture clothes, we can see vivid colours, free design, clothes made in ethnic and baroque style, combination of various fabrics. Lacroix makes everything, that can make us look more beautiful: sun-glasses, jewellery, shoes, leather products and bags. As to fragrances, I adore Bazar (it was made in 2002), orange bottle is for women. It is a floral fragrance, sensual and sexual. Contains notes of apricot, orris flowers and nectarine.