Fashion Design

Haute couture - The Art of "High Sewing"
In France, you must be accredited to sell garments as 'Haute Couture'. Accredited fashion houses must meet criteria of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture and must follow these rules:

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.
• Must have 20 full time technical people in at least one atelier or workshop.
• Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

However, the term haute couture may have been misused by ready-to-wear brands since the late 1980s, so that its true meaning may have become blurred with that of prêt-à-porter (the French term for ready-to-wear fashion) in the public perception. Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing