THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAUTE COUTURE AND COUTURE

Luxury fashion entrepreneur Sandy Sholl serves as CEO and chairman of MadaLuxe Group, a luxury fashion company she co-founded. Sandy Sholl has been working in the fashion industry for over three decades, during which time she connected with many upscale brands and preeminent luxury design houses. While luxury fashion includes things like haute couture, many people misunderstand the difference between haute couture and couture. The two are French terms, where “couture” translates as dressmaking or sewing and describes any handmade garment. “Haute” means high and relates to one-of-a-kind pieces created for specific clients. Regulated by the French government, haute couture does not apply to every fashion brand. Even high-end fashion labels are not haute couture designers unless they are officially recognized. Officially recognized designers include Chanel, Atelier Gustavolins, and Christian Dior. These brands must have an atelier, or workshop, in Paris with at least 15 employees working on a full-time basis. They must also showcase 35 or more looks in a fashion show two times a year, design made-to-order garments for private clients, and employ at least 20 technical people in one workshop. Brands that do not meet these requirements are not officially recognized by France’s regulatory body for fashion as haute couture designers.