Ok, think Dynasty, think 70’s and 80’s retro glamour, think the Gucci by Gucci ad, and think the famous Steven Meisel Fall Winter 2000 Versace campaign. That’s what the Armani Privé Fall 2010 collection looks like. The tailoring is sexy and strong, and the evening wear is very glitzy. My only complaint is that a lot of the tailoring looks very ready-to-wear, I hope the finishes and fit make the hefty price tag worth it.

I love…

fabulous 70's glamour.

more beautiful 70's tailoring. I love the draped neckline, the giant button, and the tones of brown and tan.

wearing a cocktail dress with a matching coat. And a killer crocodile clutch.

a crocodile jacket. That is haute couture.

a glittering long-sleeved gown.

Armani's take on Dynasty evening wear.

I loathe...

a bad fit. The model wearing this dress needs much higher, larger breasts.

the unflattering shape of this dress. I know couture is about creating an incredible fit with the minimum number of seams, but this just looks shapeless.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Christian Dior haute Couture Spring Summer 2007: Probably my favourite catwalk collection ever. Exquisite.

I thought I’d write a Fashion 101 post about haute couture, as I often find that it is a sector of the fashion industry that is often most misunderstood. The term haute couture is controlled by France’s governing body of fashion, La Fédération Française de la Couture. (I studied at their school in Paris, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, where I learnt all about the beautifully intricate yet scarily tedious traditions of haute couture construction.)

Haute couture was a much bigger industry in the 50s and 60s, when most wealthy people bought haute couture. Luxury ready to wear didn’t really exist at the time, and haute couture was somewhat more affordable. Brands also made money by charging American buyers from mass market brands upwards of $3,000 to attend the haute couture shows. They would sketch all the designs as they came down the catwalk, and go back to the States and make cheap copies. That all changed when Yves Saint Laurent opened his Rive Gauche store, which was considered to be the first luxury ready to wear brand. Nowadays the luxury fashion market is dominated by ready to wear, haute couture makes up a very small portion of the market.

Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Fall Winter 2009, his last show. For now.

In order to officially produce haute couture, you must be approved by the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, and follow their regulations, which include some of the following:

• You must design made-to-order clothing for clients
• You must have at least 15 people employed in a Paris workshop (or atelier)
• You must present two collections a year to the press, comprising of day and evening wear (the collections must have a minimum of 35 outfits.)

Chanel Haute Couture Spring Summer 2010.

You can see the full list of brands here, but the members are as follows:

• Adeline André
• Anne Valérie Hash
• Chanel
• Christian Dior
• Christian Lacroix (although I doubt he will be there next season…)
• Dominique Sirop
• Franck Sorbier
• Givenchy
• Jean Paul Gaultier
• Maurizio Galante
• Stéphane Rolland

Haute couture is shown in January (for the spring summer collections) and July (for the Fall Winter collections.) The audience of the shows include the usual fashion journalists, but unlike ready-to-wear, it also includes a lot of the clients, who then make appointments in the salon and choose the pieces they want to buy.

Each piece is made to measure for the client, and there can be usually be about 1 to 5 fittings during the making of an haute couture garment. Established customers will have mannequins made to suit their body, as most haute couture garments are draped directly onto the mannequin. The techniques used are sublime, using primarily hand techniques, and that is why the prices can start from $20,000 for a day dress to $60,000 for an evening dress, although the sky is the limit when it comes to beading and embroidery.

Valentino Haute Couture Spring Summer 2008, his last collection.

“Customers will pay anywhere from $25,000 upward for a couture gown; in extreme cases, the costs can reach into the millions. The Scott Henshall diamond-encrusted dress worn by Samantha Mumba to the 2004 premiere of Spiderman II was priced at approximately $9 million.”

“Clients who place orders must understand that it may take up to four months to construct a dress. Take one in particular, a 1920s-inspired gown made of dove grey chiffon. Decorated with delicate metal decals and a beaded fringe, it carries more than 50,000 Swarovski crystal beads, and took more than 150 man hours to assemble. It’s priced accordingly, at around $90,000″

-Forbes.com

Armani Privé Fall Winter 2007.

Despite these incredibly high fees, haute couture is not a lucrative business, in fact, clothing is rarely a lucrative business in the fashion industry. Although some brands manage to make a profit from haute couture, it is generally used to maintain the status and prestige of the top luxury brands, therefore ensuring sales of highly profitable products like fragrances, cosmetics, and accessories.

Anyone wishing to start their own haute couture brand should think again, its not easy to meet the requirements. Newcomers, like Alexis Mabille (who is a guest member,) were only accepted because the regulations were relaxed to encourage new brands to join. Anyone wishing to work in an haute couture atelier should definitely consider doing the course at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, because it is one of the few schools that teaches the techniques of haute couture construction. This is definitely not for someone who is not interested in “the details.”

Read other Fashion 101 posts:

Fashion 101: Where do Fashion Trends Come From?

Fashion 101: Designers with Two Jobs

Fashion 101: Magazines and their Advertisers

All images from Style.com.

The ballgowns were out in full force at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. It was pretty boring, with no one trying to be adventurous in any way. I guess the best part was the fact that Avatar only won three awards. I am looking forward to seeing The Hurt Locker. Here are a couple of my Loves and Loathes.

I Love…

Carey Mulligan in Prada and Fred Leighton. The short front hem makes this otherwise traditional dress very interesting. And her hair and earrings and general sweetness make her look fantastic. She was certainly the star of the evening.

Charlize Theron in Dior and Harry Winston. The roses on the bust look a but strange, but in a good way. Possibly the most adventurous ballgown of the evening.

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham and Lorraine Schwartz. Although I am not a fan of Miley Cyrus, I like the way she dressed very young, instead of trying to look like an adult. This is a great example of properly dressing one's age.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel couture and Fred Leighton. I hate her pose and she doesn'

**UPDATE** I just saw this photo of the Chanel dress, and I have changed my mind about it. It is definitely a loser.

Do I Love or Loathe?

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. She is wearing way to much makeup, and the dress fabric looks cheap, but it does look pretty good on her.

I Loathe…

Amanda Seyfried in Armani Privé and Lorraine Schwartz. Is she going straight to her wedding afterwards?

Demi Moore in Atelier Versace and Van Cleef & Arpels. I loved the bodice, but the floaty layers of the skirt are just so predictable.

Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent and Tiffany. Why would anyone wear a dress that makes them look twenty years older?

Mariah Carey in Valentino couture, Chopard and Piaget watch. This is a bad bridesmaid dress at its worst!

All images from WWD.

The Cut have posted a little slideshow of Lady Gaga’s outfits from last night at the Grammys, here are a couple of them. I am so happy that there is someone out there doing something so bloody exciting with her clothing. Not to mention, some good tunes too. Lady Gaga is the new Madonna, and she truly rocks.

In Armani Prive for the red carpet.

Wow shoes!

I love the puffy sleeve and the pink triangle eyes.

Amazing. Glad I wasn't sitting behind her.

This appears to be her fourth outfit of the evening.

Her sparkle bum looks fantastic.

All images from The Cut.

Armani Prive is one of the big names on the red carpets, his Haute Couture collection has a lot of loyal fans and they tend to be true A-Listers. But this collection is not just about great cocktail and red carpet dresses, there are some fantastic evening suits that are perfectly tailored and look damn stunning.

I Adore…

this suit, which is perfect Haute Couture. The curve of the wrap skirt, the round sleeve head, and the precise, smooth fit.

another stunning suit, with an elegant neckline and a beautiful clasp detail.

when God is in the details. The slit sleeve, the protruding trouser pocket...perfection.

a great cocktail dress with striking ruffles.

the shiniest dress on the catwalk. Can't wait to see this on the red carpet.

I Loathe…

the fabric on this suit, its close to looking a bit cheap.

the organza bubble around this dress.

All images from Style.com.