Haute Couture news and archive

Simone Rocha will be next guest couturier at Jean Paul Gaultier

Simone Rocha is to be the fifth guest designer at Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture label. Ms Rocha follows in the footsteps of Rabanne’s Julien Dossena, Haider Ackerman, Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, Glenn Martens of Y/Project and Diesel, and Sacai’s Chitose Abe. She is the first UK-based designer to lead the Gaultier couture collection. Rocha is a...

News

Production, fashion weeks and exclusivity: haute couture versus ready-to-wear fashion

The background article The contrast between haute couture and ready-to-wear analyses haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion and what makes the two so different. Haute couture is synonymous with exclusive craftsmanship, tailored for a select clientele seeking personalised luxury. In contrast, ready-to-wear fashion offers mass-produced designs...

Fashion

Haute Couture FW23: inspiration for costume jewelry – in pictures

As fantastical and surrealistic as it can be, the Haute Couture collections always provide plenty of inspiration for the world of costume jewelry. For fw23 the major trend was to show earrings, cuffs, necklaces and head-pieces that were oversized and opulently embellished. Armani Privé Armani Privé HC fw23 Credits: Armani Privé HC...

Fashion Featured

Nonchalance, escapism and denim at Haute Couture Week in Paris

Couture as a cure-all for everyday use appeared to be the motto of the Haute Couture Fall 2023 season in Paris. While fatal police shootings of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk triggered a wave of partially violent protests in the French capital, fashion's elite indulged in the finer things of life and high tailoring. Some collections seemed to mirror...

BusinessFeatured

Behind Saudi Arabia's ambitious strategy to promote local fashion

Saudi fashion is determined to expand on the international stage. To this end, the country of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) recently organised a double event during Men's Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week. Firstly, the operation took place in a showroom set up at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine from 24 to 27...

Fashion Featured

'It's time': Haute couture embraces men

Long the preserve of women, haute couture has in recent years opened up to men who dare to ditch the black tuxedo for something with a few more feathers, sequins and embroidery. Couture week in Paris, which ends on Thursday, has seen an unprecedented number of male looks. It's a sign of the times in the rarified realm of haute couture. "Red...

Fashion

First Saudi at Paris Fashion Week underlines dramatic changes

Saudi Arabia is continuing its multi-billion-dollar entry into all aspects of global culture, hitting a new milestone on Thursday with the first Saudi designer presenting at Paris Fashion Week. Mohammed Ashi's haute couture show -- his first as part of the official roster after years of dressing top celebrities -- is "the peak of my career," he...

Fashion Featured

Giorgio Armani criticises Paris Couture

Renowned Italian designer Giorgio Armani expressed his reservations about the future of his involvement in the haute couture fashion week in Paris. During the presentation of his Giorgio Armani Privé line at the Parisian event, Armani voiced doubts and uncertainties, suggesting that staying in Milan and conveying his vision from there might be a...

Fashion

Fashion and film merge as Paris shows its opulent side

From an absurdly opulent film shoot at the Opera Garnier to a Chanel catwalk along the Seine, fashion week offered a very different view of Paris on Tuesday from the riots of recent days. The country is still licking its wounds and facing up to the deep societal divisions exposed by days of violence sparked a week ago by the police killing of a...

Fashion

French riots could dent luxury sales

The contrast between the glamorous haute couture presentations and the ongoing riots sweeping Paris and France following a tragic shooting is striking. As governments caution their citizens about traveling to France, numerous trips have been canceled, casting a shadow over the luxury sector. According to a research note by Berstein, the riots...

Fashion |In Pictures

Thom Browne debuts at Paris Haute Couture Week

American fashion designer Thom Browne unveiled his inaugural women’s and men’s couture collection at Paris Haute Couture Week with a theatrical display at the Palais Garnier in front of 2,000 cardboard cutouts of men in grey suits. The grey theme continued throughout the collection, showcasing elements of Browne’s classic American sportswear...

Fashion Featured

Charles de Vilmorin, the young designer turning couture unisex

At just 26, French designer Charles de Vilmorin is setting the tone for fashion's most elite segment, the haute couture week in Paris, with his gender-fluid aesthetic. "The others might not necessarily do it, but I have to do it," de Vilmorin told AFP ahead of his first live catwalk show during the official couture week on Monday. While...