Couture sewing techniques claire shaeffer

COUTURE SEWING Revised & Updated ClaiRe B. shaeffeR Techniques COUTURE SEWING Techniques [...]... clients adore couture toDaY The finest jewel in fashion’s crown, haute couture is an anachronism today Having peaked in the 1940s and 1950s, when its sales were the major source of income for the great design houses, couture clothing has largely been replaced by luxury ready-to-wear, which is generally called couture in America Couture sales have dropped to a fraction of their all-time high The couture customer... group of women who can afford them, couture garments are simply the most beautifully made in the world It may surprise some to learn that most of the techniques used in couture workrooms can be duplicated at home Originating in mid-19th-century Paris with the designs of an Englishman named Charles Frederick Worth (see “A Brief History of Couture on p 12), haute couture represents an archaic tradition... the French phrase haute couture means sewing at a high level,” but a better translation might be the “finest high-fashion sewing. ” Although the haute couture designs shown on runways in Paris and Rome are too expensive for most pocketbooks, their influence on styles, colors, and accessories echoes throughout the women’s clothing industry worldwide For the homesewer, haute couture designs have a special... number of couture houses has dropped from a high of 53 after World War II to 21 at the beginning of 1993 By 2010, there were just 11 Given the shrinking clientele and rising prices of haute couture, it’s not surprising that its future is frequently a subject for speculation Many couture houses such as Givenchy, Ungaro, and Balmain have discontinued their haute couture collections Today, couture is... devastating effect on haute couture By the mid-1960s, couture fashions were less structured and even more casual, inspired by the loose-fitting fashions of the hippie movement With the demise of the bra and fitted silhouettes, the fashions coming out of Paris were easily copied in all price ranges For the first time in history, couture had lost its leading edge, and many couture houses launched prêt-a-porter,... and in July for the autumn/winter season, and show the collection to potential clients in the respective couture houses The Chambre syndicale’s definition of a couture house is so limiting that it excludes such notables as the houses of Renato Balestra, Gattinoni Couture, Romeo Gigli, and Sarli Couture, who both work and show their collections in Italy Even Deceptively simple, this timeless design... addition to the array of high-quality trims employed on a couture garment, the fit is also a highly conceived element of any couture piece A couture garment fits flawlessly as a result of multiple fittings on the client’s dress form, which has been customized to duplicate her figure, but more impressive than the fit are the subtle ways in which a couture garment is proportioned for the individual client... Peter Lipton.) 16 The bASICS oF CouTure SewING 840 licenses in 94 countries, including one for car tires Although supported by bigger and more profitable business operations, haute couture is still an art form practiced by a few creative men and women and a small group of skilled artisans Whether classic in style or playfully outrageous, the designs that emerge from couture workrooms influence women’s... most are clean-finished, or lined with rayon or silk to conceal serged, pinked, or unfinished seams Creating a Couture Collection Twice a year, in January and July, each couture house spends millions of dollars to present its collections Although the couture shows were once sedate affairs held in couture salons, they have become theatrical extravaganzas produced with lights and loud music Designed to lure... makes couture “haute”? What’s so special about haute couture designs that simple day dresses range in price from $8,000 to $20,000, suits from $10,000 to $50,000, and evening gowns from $15,000 to as much as $500,000? There are many factors, notably the fabulous, exclusive fabrics used, the flawless design, cut and fit of each garment, the exquisite craftsmanship, and the time required Haute couture . COUTURE SEWING Revised & Updated ClaiRe B. shaeffeR Techniques COUTURE SEWING Techniques