I have been learning about haute couture and doing research for my book project for the last few years, but I never see this side of the core of couture business. The client. As far as I know, from the side of entire business, couture section is not the main element of the business which makes decent profit, since the structure of a fashion house usually consists of many other sectors; Prêt-à-porter, secondary line, capsule collection, collaboration, accessory, jewelry, watch, etc.etc. Haute couture, as John Galliano explains, is the parfume, the top of the pyramid. Mr. Sidney Toledano of Dior elucidates further, that the couture collection is the platform, or benchmark for the rest of the business. It also becomes a cover as well as a core, business strategy is such developed that by buying $40 perfumes, people can feel they are part of the glamorous world. But still, the couture is like fine jewelry compared to the fakes, so wearing the real haute couture dresses is the only way to really understand the feeling and truly experience the world only few people can afford.
Based on that, W Magazine is working on a project with (hire?) the chicest Parisian woman, and my most favorite fashion magazine person, Carine Roitfeld. A story about a woman, dressing in dresses that common people can only see but never wear, a story about haute couture client.
Oh. A LOT can I learn from there. A LOT.
When Carine says "I'm a couture body" and saying to Karl that Chanel's models are too fat, I was laughing so loudly. Of course she has couture body (with feet size 37). She's Parisian. When I firstly came to Paris, I resolve a riddle why Parisian are so skinny and slender (the answer is involving no-elevator train stations across the town, and changing train every 2 stations to get somewhere).
Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy, Giambatista Valli, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli of Valentino, Azzedine Alaïa, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, are names of couturiers that will take care of the clients themselves. I don't know about the others, but I can't imagine Karl himself will help you zip your dresses during fitting session. Again, this is couture line, so that everybody involved in helping clients choosing the dress, getting the best look and dealing with alterations is the best of their expertise.
Still, there's something I don't understand. Why Carine should return all the dresses? In 'real' couture shoot in Vogue, they always use real models, so that they don't need much (or maybe just a bit) alterations, but in this case, the have Carine. Her body is couture, but she definitely needs more changes and adjustment compared to real models. So the couture houses make dress for Carine, and then she return it, then what? Just that? Because that Chanel jacket is amazing. And a man can wear it too. Maybe if I ask for it they will give it to me?
Signorefandi, I wish!