By the time you read this I’ll be in Paris for Haute Couture Fashion Week. I have a suitcase filled with fabulous winter outfits from Brisbane designer – Tracey Watkins. Tracey is the designer of luxe lifestyle label – White Label Noba. I have paired these looks with gorgeous bespoke jewellery from Jilly Marsden Designs. I’ve also packed my Frankie4 footwear black Naomi boots, so I’m flying the flag for our Brisbane designers and artisans. For the French touch, I have, of course, thrown in a couple of my favourite Dior bags.
I’ll be seeing some jaw dropping Fashion and wandering the 1st Arrondissement looking for the best street style and latest looks from all your favourite designers. All the world will be in Paris for Haute Couture Week.
I’m looking forward to seeing the latest elegant collection from Maria Aristidou who hails from the idyllic Greek island of Cyprus. Patrick Pham always delights with his colourful creations. Patrick is Vietnamese/ French. I’ll be so proud to attend the show of fellow Australian- Alin Le Kal from Melbourne. You may remember Alin for creating Gamble Breaux’s wedding dress on ‘The Real Housewives of Melbourne’. I can’t wait to see the unique collectable pieces from Katrina K whose design house is in Monaco. In all I’ve been invited to eleven shows that will showcase some of the finest Couture designs. Thanks to Mephistopheles Productions, France for inviting me once again.
What is Haute Couture?
The Haute Couture Shows are the Grand Dames of all fashion shows showcasing the very best bespoke designs. In Paris the Spring/ Summer shows run from 21-25 January. Celebrities, designers, models, stylists, press and influencers will be heading to the City of Lights with their carefully curated looks in tow, to see and be seen, hoping to capture the elusive magic of Haute Couture. The looks we see will influence all Spring / Summer Fashion for the coming season and into 2020. I pondered the question many are asking me- What is Haute Couture and why is it so special?
Haute Couture Designs are made to measure. They are designed for a single client. The client will visit an atelier in Paris for measurements and fittings. Every piece is tailored to the individual client, both in size and style. It is the highest quality and the highest priced fashion you can get.
Haute Couture
To be deemed Haute Couture there are strict criteria. A piece is not considered officially Haute Couture until it wins the approval of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Upon their approval a fashion house is considered Haute Couture by French Law.
To be truly Haute Couture you must have a workshop in Paris that employs fifteen or more people. The house must design made to order pieces for their clients with at least one fitting. The Haute Couture houses must design two collections a year for the summer and winter seasons and will present a substantial collection twice a year ( in January and July). The collections are comprised of both day and evening wear. Dior and Chanel are two well known Haute Couture houses.
The Clothes
Haute Couture and Couture pieces are created by hand from start to finish. They are made from high quality, expensive and often unusual fabric and are sewn with extreme care and attention to detail. The garments are a one of a kind made to fit the client in every way, including their stance.Those designer gowns you see Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock wearing on the red carpet, are usually pieces from the Couture and Haute Couture Collections. They are the most beautiful clothes I’ve ever seen.
The Shows
Haute Couture and Couture Shows are artistic spectacles. With elaborate sets, music, choreography and invite only guest lists these shows are as exclusive as the pieces themselves. It takes years for designers to be invited onto the official schedules in Paris and the shows are planned for months in advance. The Haute Couture or High Fashion Designs will often set the stage for all future fashion trends.The colours and shapes we will all be wearing in the future will often be determined here.
The very first Australian designer to show at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week was Adelaide’s Paul Sebastian Vasileff , who is the brains behind label Paolo Sebastian. These days the ranks of Australian designers showing at Paris Fashion Week in either the Haute Couture or Ready to Wear Week is growing every year.
For all the latest looks from Paris watch out for my upcoming articles here at SheSociety.
It’s sure to be colourful, classy and Couture. They’re tipping snow for Paris on Tuesday so it will be amazing to be watching the looks for Spring / Summer 2019 -20 in the freezing cold, especially after my long summer holiday at the beach. I know it’s a tough job but someone has to do it. Au Revoir for now and we’ll rendezvous in Paris next week.
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
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