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What does HAUTE COUTURE means?- ChicagoFashionDesigners.com has the answer by Cory N. 02.08

Oh boy, how can I say this without offending anyone? Well, I guess I just say it. We decided to create this FASHION DIRECTORY to educate some of our readers considering that nowadays in Chicago, there are plenty of politicians, retired lawyers and fashion gurus wannabies which have decided to pioneer in the fashion industry. Don't take me wrong, there is a reason, and here it is: Recently, I had the chance to talk to someone who was recently pointed as a "great" maker in the industry in the City of Chicago, to my surprise and disappointment, the woman had no idea as to what fashion is. I hope she is reading...

General Terms in Fashion-

Fashion: is a term that usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression and is most often used as a synonym for the current style in clothing, however sociologists and other scholars who write about fashion are more likely to use a definition that says that fashion has two elements. It is (1) accepted by many people and (2) its acceptance lasts for a relatively short period of time. Fashion does not exist in all cultures and historic periods. It seems to begin in the Western Europe in the late middle ages. At that time the nobility were the originators of fashions, and the lower classes copied upper class styles (known as the “trickle down theory of fashion.”). Today, fashions may originate with all levels of society, even the least affluent, and when this happens, it is known as “percolate up” or “bottom up” fashion change.

Fashion design: is the applied art dedicated to the design of clothing and lifestyle accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time.

Fashion design differs from costume design due to its core product having a built in obsolescence usually of one to two seasons. A season is defined as either autumn/winter or spring/summer. Fashion design is generally considered to have started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who was the first person to sew their label into the garments that they created. While all articles of clothing from any time period are studied by academics as costume design, only clothing created after 1858 could be considered as fashion design.

Fashion designers design clothing and accessories. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. These designers create original garments, as well as those that follow established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, creating designs of men’s, women’s, and children’s fashions for the mass market. Designer brands which have a 'name' as their brand such as Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren are likely to be designed by a team of individual designers under the direction of a designer director.

Fashion Week: is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, that allows fashion designers or "houses" to display their latest collections. Runway shows are typically the highlight of fashion week. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals of Paris, London, New York and Milan.[1] In the early and mid 2000s, fashion weeks sprang up around the globe to draw attention to designers elsewhere.

Fashion Business Terms-

Line: One of many terms that have multiple meanings in the fashion world. (1) n. Used to refer to the shape of a garment, as in “The dress has a simple line.” (2) v. In making a garment, putting a layer of fabric on the inside so that it hides the construction details. This fabric may be hidden, as inside a dress, or visible, as in a coat or jacket. (3) n. The clothing designed and produced by a designer or manufacturer for a particular season or time period. Collection is a synonym, and is more often used in high fashion. A secondary line consists of a less expensive group of styles made by a manufacturer and sold to a different market than the primary line.

Brand and trademark: A brand is a name, label, or mark assigned to a product by its manufacturer or distributor. A trademark is a word, design, or device assigned to a product or service by the owner. Trademarks can be registered so that no other individual or company can use the name or symbol. A brand can be a trademark if it is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce. U.S. law requires that goods or services being trademarked must actually have been sold, so trademarks cannot be selected and registered in advance of their use. In many other countries, items can be trademarked before being used. Commonly used general terms, such as “silk,” “pants,” or “beauty” cannot be trademarked. Registered trademarks are designated with symbols. The symbols are ?, which is only used once the trademark has been registered; ?, a trademark for goods, and SM, a trademark for services. Registered trademarks are protected for a period of 20 years and are renewable.

International Fashion Terms-

Haute couture (French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking"; IPA: refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. It originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. In modern France, haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as London, New York, Tokyo and Milan. (Yes, saadly some people in Chicago use the expression not knowing what it means)

Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.

Prêt-à-porter is the fashion design term for clothing marketed in a finished condition, in standard clothing sizes (in casual usage, off the rack or "off-the-peg"). Some fashion houses or fashion designers create ready-to-wear lines that are mass-produced and industrially manufactured, while others offer lines that are very exclusive and produced only in limited numbers and only for a limited time. Whatever the quantity produced, these lines are never one of a kind.

The antithesis of ready-to-wear is different depending on whether it concerns women's or men's fashion. In women's fashion high-end clothing made partly incorporating features requested by the client and to her exacting measurements is called haute couture. In menswear, it is usually called bespoke.

Sources credits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion

http://www.wwd.com/dictionary/fashion#fashion

We hope this article sparks the curiosity of some of those politicians, retired attorneys and fashion-gurus wannebies playing fashion and they get caught up in the real scene.

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