Great couturiers are fashion designers who have been inducted into the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, and must be the head of a haute couture house and show their new collections in Paris at least twice a year. The first great couturier was Charles Frederick Worth, and the term haute couture is a legally protected term by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
A great couturier is a fashion designer who has been inducted into the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, a French federation meaning “high fashion syndicate.” To become a member, the great couturier must be the head of a haute couture (highly personalized fashion) house and show their new collections in Paris at least twice a year. The members of this union often change and rotate, as the Chambre selects haute couture designers who have contributed significantly to recent fashions in all respects.
Although her designs are not purchased by the general population, most people can recognize the names of great couturiers. The official grand courtiers of winter 2010 include high-profile international names such as Givenchy, Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dominique Sirop. Often such couture names and fashions are featured in popular beauty and fashion magazines, such as Vogue, InStyle, and Elle.
The great couturiers began to make money selling pieces specifically designed and tailored for prestigious clients, such as royalty, actresses, and the wives of esteemed business executives. In general, however, the great courtiers have become known for showing off each season’s fashion line in one of six distinguished fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, or London. While these styles eventually affect the next year’s trends, runway outfits are typically not for sale, and don’t actually generate direct revenue for the designers. Rather, the shows create appeal for the great couturier by showcasing her work and paving the way for the designer’s ready-to-wear collection.
The first great couturier is said to have been Charles Frederick Worth, a 19th century English designer who became famous while working for the French fashion industry. Occasionally referred to as the father of couture, Worth invented the hustle and is also the first known designer to have an actual presentation of his designer collection. As models displayed his work, buyers bought Worth’s designs to copy and sell from another location. It was in this way that women who admired Worth’s style, but could not visit or afford his showroom fashions, were still able to follow the trends.
In general, the term haute couture was first used to describe work reminiscent of Worth, although in modern times it is a legally protected term by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. While many people use the term couture interchangeably with high fashion, the terms are not synonymous. To be technically labeled as a couture producer, the fashion house must be mentioned in the current list of members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Therefore, the members of this federation can call themselves official grand couturiers.
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