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Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Old Masters in Paris: Still Alive in spite of Economic Crisis

By Benedict Singh

It sis believed that haute couture is vanishing. The majority of people think this is due to the current global economy declining, and it worries people who still practicing this fashion style.

Haute couture occupies a small world of dyers, feather makers, and the creative mind of a few couturiers. In the fashion industry, it is believed that Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world. It gave birth to big fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Lauren.

Chanel

Chanel recently announced the layoff of its 200 temporary employees, shocking the whole fashion world. The news fell like a bombshell as many believed the type of people that purchase Chanel are not effected by the global economy.

Reports of the layoffs originally came from the trade unions. Finally it was confirmed by the Wertheimer family who own Chanel. The Wertheimer family typically never speek about their business publicly, and added to the shock of the layoffs.

Karl Lagerfield, who is a respected designer and creator of ready-to-wear and haute couture collections from Chanel, was asked if the existing global recession has had any negative effects on the forthcoming Spring couture season. His reply was simply only on the conversation.

Moreover, he said that theres always a customer for exceptional clothes: the girl dreaming of haute couture wedding dress or the daughter and wife of an oil billionaire, etc. Included in Chanels recent collection are: white wool jackets (narrow, squared-off shoulders) worn with the new A-line skirt which gives a split-front illusion.

Yves Saint Lauren

Ten years ago, Yves Saint Laurent previous chairman described haute coutures contemporary problem calling it the opposite of business. He said that these days, people find it hard to grasp the real value of an elegant couture show, which is to create one-of-a-kind, exquisite clothes using various needle crafts.

Dior

The Dior chief executive, Sidney Toledano, is a little more positive. Toledano believes that Dior received an increase in haute couture customers over the past two years. While the numbers are a quite small, it is still an increase. He concluded We just have to give more sense of work in what we do

In his latest collection, the designer director for Dior, John Galliano, showed a palette of pinks and pale blues with an odd slash of scarlet and a lot of off-white. The rippling skirts and jackets flatter the waist and face, especially if worn with a pair of trousers or softer skirts. There were also swagged ball gowns, satin slim cocktail dresses that have open necklines, half-hidden corset, and a dollop of draping.

Fashion forecast fears that a decade from today, it will be surprising if there are still more than 2-3 houses producing haute couture collections twice every year. The skilled labor cost to make a suit or dress entirely by a workers hand will be a major factor in its demise. But the fashion world hopes that these predictions will not come true, and the old masters in Paris will still stay alive (and even thrive) in spite of the economic crisis.

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