Nothing about the fashion industry makes us dream like haute couture
does. Extremely precise yet outstandingly creative, this discipline
(officially started by Charles Frederick Worth in the 1860s, although
heavily inspired by the flamboyant fashions and lifestyle of the court
of Versailles) oozes magic. And while today many question the current
influence and the future of couture, Olivier Saillard – director of the renowned Musée Galliéra in Paris – and Anne Zazzo
– art historian and curator – believe its evolution will only take it
to new heights. Together, they have written a book and curated an
exhibition (both titled Paris Haute Couture) exploring its history from Poiret to Saint Laurent, and its fascinating prospective. For my latest article on AnOther Magazine, I got together with these two true Parisians to discuss savoir-faire and creativity in today's couture.
Haute couture is so deeply associated with Paris… could it ever exist outside of the French capital?Olivier Saillard:
Couture is first and foremost the reflection of French heritage and
tradition, and a certain idea of savoir-faire transmitted from
generation to generation. Economically, it demands and enormous amount
of money and its profits aren’t big, so it takes a very passionate
investor – the likes of Dior, Gaultier or Chanel – to finance an haute
couture collection. In those terms, I don’t think it is possible to
produce couture outside of Paris today, especially considering the
current economic climate. However, I do believe other countries could
very well invent their own forms of couture, different from the French
and inspired by their own cultures; why not?
What are the “métiers d’art”? How essential are they to haute couture?Anne Zazzo:
Since in haute couture the basic rule is to make everything entirely by
hand and all kinds of materials are involved in it, the industry needs
experts to work exclusively in the treatment of feathers, embroideries,
gloves or buttons. These are what we call in France the “métiers d’art”:
ateliers like Lesage, Lemarié, Massaro
or Jean Clément who have become necessary to couture through the years.
They are craftsmen whose savoir-faire is unique, and their work adds to
the value of a couture gown. They are actually so apprised that couture
designers like Karl Lagerfeld have been sponsoring and supporting them
for years.
You say haute couture is paradoxically best revealed through what it conceals, what do you mean by that?OS: The
public in general – and even many people who work in the fashion
industry – tend to identify couture with precious, heavily ornamented,
embroidered clothes. However, the more a gown is simple, the more it is
haute couture: for it is through simplicity that we can best appreciate
the craft that goes into couture. Take for instance Madame Grès; it took
her years of work and experience to be able to think and execute her
trademark dresses, and ultimately that is much more important than any
amount of hours spent making a gown.
Can bad taste exist in couture?AZ: Haute couture is
heavily coded and traditionally follows a very strict etiquette.
Designers have always shown the clothes in a specific order, according
to the sartorial needs of women of the world 24 hours a day: morning
suits for both the city and the countryside, tea dresses, cocktail
dresses, evening gowns… Each occasion has its own outfit, and such
codification tacitly implies good taste. However, as Picasso said, good
taste is the enemy of creativity, and haute couture is a creative craft.
When a designer leaves his mark upon his collections, he inevitably
pushes the boundaries of taste. It happened with Worth, who dressed
1870s women in tapestry motifs (prompting many jokes at the time), with
Schiaparelli and her extremely sexualised collections and with
Galliano’s eerie proportions and ornament overdose. So in a way, bad
taste is very couture!
Is there a sense of nostalgia to today’s couture?OS: I see
more and more young designers trying to find new, sustainable ways to
work, and looking back to a time when couture was produced in a more
artisanal way. People like Bouchra Jarrar and Alexandre Vauthier have
built small teams and sometimes work with friends and family. They don’t
feel the need to grow exponentially or to open boutiques in every
street corner in China. Then, of course, there is a much less exciting
form of nostalgia in couture – aesthetic nostalgia. Some designers
create nothing but incredibly ornate evening gowns. Not only are they
perpetuating a false cliché of what haute couture is, they are also
creating dresses for a kind of woman who doesn’t really exist anymore.
What is so magical about owning a couture garment?OS: It’s
not about the price (I really think for people who can afford to buy
haute couture the investment is not that important). It’s about the
personal relationship of a woman – and her body – and a dress. Custom
made clothing, no matter whether it is couture or a very simple dress
that one has made for oneself, is always something we cherish, something
we are not easily tempted to throw away. It’s the radical opposite of
fast fashion. Couture dresses take time to make, several fittings… They
are executed with the utmost attention and tenderness and meant
exclusively for one person’s body. Dresses made by Azzedine Alaïa or
Chanel have a very special kind of lightness: they feel natural, almost
like petals. That’s where the magic of haute couture is.
What has prêt-à-porter inherited from haute couture?AZ: The
obsession of permanent creation. Designers like Yves Saint Laurent (and
later Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel) came from haute couture and developed
prêt-à-porter collections, transmitting the idea that a brand has to
have its own style and image. The cult of designers comes also from
couture… Today, Alber Elbaz and Hedi Slimane are just as respected as
any haute couture designer.
What should we expect from haute couture in the 21st century?OS:
It will of course have to change. We no longer live in a world which
allows us to be dressed in couture from dawn till dusk. We have entered a
new era, but that doesn’t mean this form of art has to disappear. Right
now a new, extremely creative way of making prêt-à-porter is emerging
which could take over couture houses (given of course that mass
production would slow down or stop). I personally think the French
government should be a lot more supportive and help finance small
ateliers with expert craftsmen and “couturières”, then invite one
designer - I’m thinking of Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo or some of the rising
talents of the London scene - each season to create a collection. That
would let them unleash their creative side without thinking of
production constraints… Wouldn’t it be wonderful?
