37 - The Origins and Development of Haute Couture, 1858 to Now

Summary

The phenomenon of Parisian haute couture fascinated, inspired, and on occasion troubled nineteenth-century observers, who witnessed its evolution from a specialist form of dressmaking specific to that city into an international business sensation. Couture’s rise was unstoppable following the astounding success of its originator, Englishman Charles Frederick Worth (1825–1895), and that of the grand couturiers – both men and women – who followed in his footsteps, drawn to the ‘capital’ of fashion with its network of skilled artisans and material luxury. The House of Worth, like many that followed, was named after its founder and had its own distinctive sensibility, although all operated under a similar business model whereby unique seasonal designs would be created by the head of the house, or auteur, and made to order for clients by in-house ateliers. By the late nineteenth century, couture houses had begun to expand their reach, opening proto-boutiques in French resorts such as Deauville, Biarritz, and Cannes.