FASHION INDUSTRY DICTIONARY

Define Haute Couture.

High fashion, hand made, staggeringly expensive one of a kind pieces that often require three fittings. To qualify as an haute couture piece, a garment must follow several strict guidelines. For a label or business to qualify as a couture house, it must belong to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture in Paris.

The fashion designer collections seen at certain Fashion Week events are considered to be Haute Couture. Haute couture is not only made-to-order for a specific customer, it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming hand-executed techniques.

In France, designation by the term haute couture is protected by law. A certain number of formal criteria (number of employees, participation in fashion shows…) must be met for a fashion house to use the label; a list of eligible houses is made official every year by the French Ministry of Industry. The haute couture houses belong to the professional union, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.