Fashion is nothing, if not cyclical, and we are now blissfully ensconced in a fashion cycle where “More is more”. Simply put, we are about as far away from minimalism as we possibly can be. It is- and has been for quite some time now- ‘all about’ the embellished, ornamental, embroidered, bejeweled, and richly textured- those elements that have long been associated with the rarified world of couture, or custom made to order.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all of the above were there in glorious over the top abundance at the latest rounds of couture shows in Paris, where designers unveiled their fall/winter collections.
The insular, very precious, highly unaffordable and seemingly unattainable world of made to order and couture has always been about in-your-face, unabashed luxury, incredible fabrication, flawless tailoring, precision cuts, and details, details, details. As they say, God is in the details. Designers like Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Donatella Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, and Jean Paul Gaultier, have traditionally infused elements of couture within their ready to wear collections- nothing new about that.
What HAS changed though is the embrace of couture elements by a whole new crop of young designers, which has added a welcome and new dimension to the fashion landscape. The result is a rekindled appreciation for dressing up, and, a hunger and thirst for couture like- details, amongst an entire generation that had been weaned on jeans and t- shirts. Couture is not dead- it is very much alive and well thank you very much, and quite frankly, though very few of us will ever be able to afford it, couture has never looked so good. It also sets a certain high standard.
One of the world’s most influential designers, Miuccia Prada, who is always looked upon for direction, seems to be on a couture path. Her last several collections (particularly fall/winter 2004) were notable for their youthful, intellectual, and modern approach to couture, as seen in her jewel -encrusted belts, bejeweled frocks, appliqués, dip- dyed, hand- dyed textiles and knitwear. And many of the fashion world’s newest stars have all seemingly been bitten by the couture bug as well.
Zac Posen, who just won Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Award for Ready-to-Wear, continues to exhibit a very grown up couture sensibility within his collections; Derek Lam, a nominee for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Ready-to-Wear, got Anna Wintour’s attention and gained her support owing to his refined and chic couture based craftsmanship, opulent brocades and lames, jewel embellished strapless dresses, and wonderful attention to detail; Nicolas Guesquiere, one of fashion’s true darlings, helped modernize the legendary house of Balenciaga; and Olivier Theyskens gained much acclaim after imbuing his first several collections for the venerable house of Rochas with youthful verve and exuberance.
This has set the stage for an awareness of- and appreciation for- all those things that have come to symbolize made to order, couture, and custom order. In the same way the customer has been educated about the world of vintage, she is now well aware of the rewards and satisfaction that comes with finding unique, out of the ordinary, highly expressive, personal, and individual pieces
- APPAREL NEWS, April, 2007
