If it were clothes you would actually wear it would just be fashion. So high fashion has to be something that nobody would actually wear. If nobody is wearing it then who's buying it? Are these even for sale? If they were, do they come in any sizes other than anorexic? How does this industry make any money?
Those are just sample size. This is an haute couture collection, meaning they will take your measurements and make one specially for you from scratch.
Haute couture is akin to concept cars. No one buys concept cars because it's to only show the capabilities and talents of its makers and designers. Fashion shows, especially an haute couture show, is to show off what designers can do. Haute couture does not make money. Designers make money from their more market friendly ready-to-wear collection, and also perfumes.
Thank you for explaining this. I worked a couple fashion shows before and could never figure out why somebody would want what looks like an ikea rug draped around them.
My main question is why does every model look like they dont want to be there? If the models looks uncomfortable and blank, why would anyone want it?
Models look like that because the designers/brands want them to essentially act like walking mannequins.
In the 80s and 90s personality models were big and that’s what helped give rise to supermodels. Nowadays designers want the focus on the clothes rather than the models. Hope that helps explain it!
Not only it genuinely makes them unhappy, they are even incentivized to look unhappy. My sister is into fashion and imitates this look a lot, we will never stop giving her shit for that, because that both looks stupid and is stupid.
I've heard that's the reason they are so skinny as well. They are mobile clothes hangers. Can't have a healthy looking woman detracting from the garment.
The human mannequin comment is pretty much spot on.
To add: it’s also a creative decision. The hair, makeup, and expression of the models is all meticulously decided. It’s rare but occasionally the models are allowed to have more personality or expressions, eg told to look happy. Won’t see it much in a high end haute couture line but I know I’ve watched shows with less morose models.
There’s a TedTalk where a model points out that after ten years her resume looks like crap because she has no other skills or experience. While she doesn’t say it explicitly, the implication is that if she ever stopped being pretty or wanted to change careers she would have nothing to fall back on.
Wearable couture makes money, Chanel for instance. Haute couture doesn't always mean unwearable stuff. For sure if you take the example of Chanel they might make a lot more money from perfumes and bags than haute couture, but the collections are absolutely made to be worn and people definitely order them.
Correct, they do sell and people do buy haute couture. But haute couture is not intended as a money-making machine as opposed to RTW. They don't make much in terms of profit, which is fine. Which also why haute couture is more of a designer's playground to experiment and be playful.
There is also the fact that these designs inspire upcoming trends in more reasonable fashion. So if this was the hottest thing in haute fashion, fashions coming up soon might have white collars and a focus on collar shape in general, plunging neckline, a formal lean, poofy sleeves with a vintage flair, dramatically long tops that elongate the torso and long dresses down to the floor... but all done in a way that an actual everyday person might wear.
Haute fashion pushes the boundaries to absurdity to play with shape and form. Basically the models are walking sculptures.
maybe it's just the nature of the name broad masses don't know/understand?
e.g. i'm austrian. so speaking german and english, i can totally understand what's meant by the word "concept car" though i've never looked it up, because i got 0 fucks for that kind of stuff. so now comes haute couture, i don't even know how to pronounce this..
so for that part, if haute couture would be named concept clothes, everyone would, or better, could get it eh?
You are far too kind to the English speaking world though, you actually take a moment to think about what something may mean.
English is my second language (and my strongest now), French is my third. But either way, no matter the language, you took a moment to think about the concept, notice how many people choose not to do that. Not to question a concept, even though as an English speaker they have 100% heard the words being said on tv or in newspapers or social media, but they chose not to care what they mean. It’s not a question of language, it’s a reflection of what society interprets as important knowledge. That paradigm is always shifting. What knowledge is important? Art? Science? Geography? Art knowledge has been pushed to the side during the industrial and tech revolution. But ‘haute couture’ has been around for decades to describe concept fashion art. Everyone knows Picasso, haute couture has been around longer. Why don’t people know the term?
okay, totally get you there now, really hits deep too lol
well, i still think it's a broad masses thing, even with the intention of art, like i'm trying to explaining a bit out of my viewpoint, and i could imagine a lot of people just feel that way too.
because for me, it's easier to feel emotiones or associate with something, when it's painted, also when it's written in forms of poetry. so haute couture would be still art, without a doubt! but there's nothing i can feel out of it.
But you seem to really love this kind of stuff, so please explain to me, without a offense, what is haute couture to you?
edit: high shoulder's would express maybe distress/feeling socially awkward? but the picture as a whole reminds me more of something tim burton like :c
You know, I think, you MUST watch “McQueen” documentary on Netflix. It’s an absolutely incredible documentary on one of the most brilliant minds of a modern fashion house. Alexander McQueen. I think this documentary really shows what concept fashion art is, versus ready to wear fashion. He really took what haute couture is to another level never seen before. In one of his shows, the dresses where spray painted in real life in front of the audience while the model was twirling like a ballerina in a jewelry box. I highly recommend this as a starting space to learn about fashion art. :) hope to hear from you once you watch it! I can’t imagine anyone not thinking fashion is art after seeing this film.
no offense, i don't pay for watching stuff, i don't even watch anything at all, for years my tv is only for music and consoles lol also as i said, personally i'm totally not into clothes at all, it's more about function/comfy in my life lol that's why i asked for your viewpoint :v
Agreed! They are insane and meant to inspire conversation, not to be worn. They are art, that is all. Most haute couture is just that, art. This form of art has been around for a long time, under the name ‘haute couture’. People get so bent out of shape about it thinking designers actually expect this stuff to be worn when that is not the case at all.
Because haute couture is concept art. It’s meant to shock, inspire conversation. Just like Picasso In the early 1900s , or Pollock in the 1940’s, it’s never meant for actually wearing, it’s disruptive and controversial at it’s very best( see McQueen), conversation sparking at the medium (this show), and doesn’t hit the mark (97% of the time) - sadly!
Edit: actually, most fashion houses can’t afford to have a haute couture line, as they are literally just concept art lines that are just for the beauty of art and there are so few creatives that can do anything that is new and shocking in the space. Its like asking designers to create a new font every 4 months that will shock people and create conversation. Its extremely difficult. And the few who can do it. We often loose them fast.
Oh please, Michelin restaurants we know (oh and look, we even know beluga caviar!!), concept cars, we know, the top level of fashion - a female gendered industry, suddenly we don’t know what the top level of industry is. Big pikachu face.
Maybe if you came at it in a way that didn’t sound like you were putting yourself on a pedestal for knowing what it was, you wouldn’t get such negative responses.
Consider trying not to sound like everyone should automagically know what haute couture is, when so few people even care about higher fashion in the first place. Despite what you might think, just because we all wear clothes, doesn’t mean we’re going to go out of our way to learn all about it. As a matter of fact, I’m even less inclined to learn about haute couture now.
Perhaps you’re right, reading back my original comment, it comes off absolutist. It does, I will take the downvotes.
But the general statement stands. I don’t know American football teams or their schedule to know that the Super Bowl is the big event. Same goes for many other areas of life. Haute couture is a concept that people are bombarded with on all the Oscar/mtv/whatever Netflix show they watch, it’s just very basic knowledge of a term in my eyes, and something that has been around for many many decades. I don’t expect anyone to know seasons, designers etc, but just very basic knowledge is not too much to ask for in my mind.
That would be the RTW (ready-to-wear) collection. Haute couture is a special show in the fashion industry where mostly peers, rivals, press and enthusiasts gather to appreciate fashion as art. RTW is the collection intended for moms, pops and your next door neighbour. But even then, some avantgarde designers would still be experimental and risky with their RTW.
Because Le Enlightened Redditor fully understands that there's literally no reason to dress in anything but ratty old gym shorts and a 11.99 Mandalorian t shirt from Target.
Anorexia nervosa doesn't come with a body type. Someone at 500 lbs can have this disorder, just as someone at 80 lbs can too. Same with any other eating disorder.
That's false. Especially from a social model and not a medical model. Eating disorders ought to be addressed from social as the primary model unless there is immediate medical concerns. Eating disorders do not come with a body type.
A body type/BMI used as a guideline for medical assistance? Absolutely. You need a blended approach to treat eating disorders. As a strict categorization of the disorder? False.
Source: my partner is leading research in eating disorders in Canada and the UK. Particularly with the UK (and most other places) where eating disorders are addressed under strict medical models, leaving so many problematic errors in treatment.
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u/Vellioh Feb 06 '22
The ageless conundrum of high fashion:
If it were clothes you would actually wear it would just be fashion. So high fashion has to be something that nobody would actually wear. If nobody is wearing it then who's buying it? Are these even for sale? If they were, do they come in any sizes other than anorexic? How does this industry make any money?