The demise of high couture???

I have been watching some of the best DVDs including ‘Dior and I’ and ‘The September Issue’, which give a glimpse of the world of fashion which I otherwise know nothing about. It seems to be a glamorous job every single creative fashionista is dying for and who doesn’t envy the life of Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil wears Prada’? I do admire and appreciate the craftsmanship of high couture especially what Chanel does in its own revered couture atelier but only recently does haute couture and the notion of seasonal change are threatened by the rise of ready-to-wear and the commercial impact of fast fashion, which might bring about the imminent demise of the fashion system. Is digital technology the culprit to blame?

Not convinced? Think for a second of what has happened in the past few years, with fashion blighted by designer dismissals, breakdowns and suicide. McQueen’s suicide, Galliano’s departure from Christian Dior, upheavals at various fashion houses and the changes of creative director at major designer label houses; all of which are symptoms of a faulty fashion industry which need to be addressed. The speed of the current turnover is alarming when Elbaz and Raf Simmons left the vast machine of Lanvin and Christian Dior respectively. How about Grace Coddington stepping down from her role as the US Vogue Creative Director? I highly recommend watching the Vogue documentary ‘The September Issue’ (if you haven’t already) in which Grace came across as the guardian of artistry in the face of Wintour’s pragmatic commercialism. What haute couture was i.e. the beauty, dreams, poetry, high craftsmanship and luxury that transcend the passing of time, is no longer cherished in this brutal new reality. Instead of being artisanal with a sense of grandeur, fashion feels more industrial and banal. Fast fashion is not a niche but an attitude affecting the industry at every level conceivable. Why is it that everyone is obsessed with speed? We have fast food, fast cars, fast decisions, fast fashion, but does making things available faster make them better or more desirable? All these so called conveniences which drive the economy to a frantic dizzying vortex in acquiring more at a quicker rate is simply wrong, when you really think about the quality of the products, the affects they have on the society and the environment, and the unspeakable suffering of both the consumers and those involved in fabricating the products.

Have you read or watched the DVD of the legend Coco Chanel? Have you researched the intricacy of the finished Hermes masterpieces? They are what they are for a reason: being timeless and superb craftsmanship which can’t possibly be imitated or overridden by mass production of fast fashion. It must be confusing and difficult for established luxury brands to distance themselves from the vagaries of ‘fashion’ and trying to create something eternal but ever-changing at the same time. The culture of couture is vanishing before our eyes, both on the supply and demand sides when they are no longer appreciated for the expertise and knowledge, the qualities and exquisite beauty which haute couture values. Gosh, it is exhausting just to keep up with the fleeting trends unless you are a fashionista with a Swiss bank account of unlimited funds. No wonder the designers are struggling when they are no longer admired by customers as an expert in the field but machines to be turned on and off at the customers’ disposal. If I could afford it, I would always choose a well-crafted hand-made Chanel handbag over any replicate which you can find in chain stores. Don’t you think there is a reason for the expensive price tag?

Isn’t it obvious that we have a saturated market which doesn’t require any more clothes any faster. I am getting tired just reading the fashion magazines, displays in retail stores which keep changing on a weekly basis, images on Instagram, to name a few. I have a wardrobe full of clothes with price tags still attached and I have no intention to make further purchases in a very long time. And you? Do you need some breathing space too before you are overwhelmed and submerged under the sea of cheap fast production which falls apart at the seams after a couple of wash?

Share your thoughts with me.