THE RISE OF DEMI COUTURE

Fashion, by definition, is an ever-changing beast, a nebulous concept responding to social and cultural change and mutating swiftly. Couture, on the other hand, has always existed rather in a bubble – a vacuum of its own, untouched by modernity and today’s market for the instant gratification of fast fashion and ready-to-wear collections.

It’s a nod to a bygone age when endless fittings, appointments at Paris ateliers, and months of work went into creating a single gown – a preservation of ancient craft and techniques, and a celebration of artisanship and luxury. Accessibility has always been the antithesis of couture; it is a closed off world, and the French even put restrictions on the use of the term, with the Paris couture shows are made up of only a smattering of labels compared to the prêt à porter collections.

But the rise of designers showing pieces that they describe as ‘demi-couture’ – pieces that have the intricacy, opulence and price tags that are associated with haute couture, but technically are ‘off the rack’ – may mark the winds of change within the industry. Purists may argue that unless something is handmade, to measure, it cannot be defined as ‘couture’; but there is something to be said about some of the creations seen on the runway just this season, and for some time now.

The craftsmanship involved, the sheer opulence of the creations; this is the real magic and drama that makes couture, and demi-couture so enchanting – the stuff of dreams.

Take McQueen’s cut-out leather leaves of SS12; these exquisitely cut, wrought and embellished items reflect the glorious imagination and technical skill of their makers in much the same way that haute couture does. Mary Katranzou’s intricate Jewel Tree dress is perhaps the epitome of the genre – taking 150 odd hours to make. While it still pales in comparison to the 2000 hours that Givenchy’s Couture SS11 dress laced with real pearls took to make, it is an example of that special artful touch that elevates it over even the more elaborate of ready-to-wear.

Most interesting is to witness graduates bravely tackle the concept – so many graduate collections are a masterclass in concept, painstaking hours of labour, and arduous execution; with only themselves or a small team’s skills to rely on, these designers are truly paragons of creative brilliance.

Pedantic definitions aside, in these turbulent economic times, a little flair and sparkle is a welcome sight, and it is particularly encouraging to see that the industry is in no danger of losing sight of the theatre and grandeur that is its heart and soul and becoming enslaved to what will sell well instead of pushing boundaries of craftsmanship and creativity. For a long time couture has taken rather a back seat next to the lucrative money-spinner that is RTW, the gap between the two has widened increasingly.

So, rather than a dilution of the traditional métier of couture, with its wonderful pomp and finery, perhaps this move by an ever-increasing swathe of designers to produce ‘demi-couture’ reflects a more general shift for fashion in the direction of the opulent and the magnificent; a rejection of mundanity. It appears there is an appetite for it; Sarah Burton, speaking about her SS12 collection for Alexander McQueen said; “We go to such lengths to adorn ourselves that we almost become our clothes or are taken over by them.” Those words may not sit well with everyone, but it reflects an all-encompassing passion that is necessary for a backlash against the ordinary, the prosaic, and the easily replicated; a push from the humdrum towards the extraordinary.