Fall Couture Follow-up - The Formula

Patrick Demarchelier's shot of the Dior atelier workers. Note the toile mock-up and finished coat on Natalia

As promised, I am posting about the Haute Couture for the Fall 2009 season. We established the identity of Madame X a few posts back, and now we get to sink our teeth into her fashion 'buys.' Follow along as we ask ourselves, "Would Madame X wear this?"

THE FORMULA

When shopping at couture, it is best to loosely follow a simple formula. Each fashion house has a specialty, something that they do better than any other. Buying a garment from these houses comes with the knowledge that a better constructed example does not exist. By formula I mean the following:

1. Jackets - Dior. Christian Dior founded his house on the Bar Jacket. Under John Galliano's leadership, it has taken on a whole new meaning. A better fitting, more classically flattering example does not exist.
   
   
2. Tweed Suits - Chanel. This winter staple is so tied to the House of Chanel that I can't tell if which came first, the suit or Coco Chanel.
   
   
3. Everyday Jackets - Givenchy. Newcomer Riccardo Tisci has carved a name for himself by updating and modernizing the jacket silhouette. Definitely one to follow.
   
   
4. Ball Gowns - Dior. Unabashed romance is a house code of Dior. No one does over-the-top, Scarlet-O'hara drama like this Ave. Montaigne atelier.
   
   
5. Corsets - Jean Paul Gaultier. He made Madonna's iconic cone bra. Need I say more?
   
   
6. Trench Jackets & Outerwear - Jean Paul Gaultier. What I love about JPG is that he will create a fiercely tailored piece, but will then throw in a threatrical element that will elevate an everyday item to a level of imagination few can dream up.
   
   
7. Dinner Dresses - Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld is excellent at creating pieces that are best appreciated close up. Perfect for that cocktail or sit down dinner.
   
   
8. Coats - Christian Lacroix. Lacroix has a painter's soul, and the palette of his coats calls to mind the works of great artists.
   
   
9. Red Carpet - Christian Lacroix. Once again, it his eye for colour that set's him apart. Sure, every actress will clamor to wear the latest Chanel or Dior straight off the runway. But Lacroix has a much lower profile. Juxtaposingly, his dresses are anything but quiet. They are as individual and as poetic as the master himself.
   
   
10. Cocktail & Pant Suits - Ralph Rucci. Simply put, the last word in quiet chic. Ralph does the Little Black Dress like no one else.
    
    
11. Accessories - Armani. Whoever design's the Armani Prive accessories does a brilliant job. They provide just the foil that Armani's sometimes old-hat silhouettes so desperately need.
    
    

I say this is to be loosely followed because it's important to be open to the odd surprise. Some seasons we may find a great corset at Chanel, while coveting the ball gown at Gaultier. While these surprises aren't the norm, it is good to go in with an open mind. What couture does so well is that it gives us the designer's undiluted vision. We are exposed to interesting ideas on cut, proportion, styling, colour and texture. Couture also parades before us the best embroideries, best fabrics, etc. done by some the most talented people alive today.

Dovima, wearing YSL for Dior, in Richard Avedon's iconic "Dovima with Elephants."

You may have noticed that I left some out well known houses - namely new comers like Anne Valerie Hash and Alexis Mabille. I can honestly say that while I have only seldomly observed their work, I was never impacted enough to investigate further. I do not doubt that they have created beautiful clothing. I have just haven't seen it.

I have also left out Valentino, Elie Saab and have regulated Armani Prive to just accessories. There are reasons behind this:

Elie Saab is a talented designer. He has long been the go-to for the after-dark set, but ultimately he suffers from one main problem - inconsistency. Sometimes his collections contain stunning pieces. But too often I feel that for every good frock, there are 5 hideous ones that should never had left the atelier floor. His collections have also gotten weaker in the last couple of years.

Valentino Garavani will forever be known as the king of unapologetic glamour. He made women look their most beautiful. Sadly after his retirement last spring, his house has struggled to find its footing. After promising collections by Alessandra Facchinetti, she was ousted (quite publically - she was notified via the morning paper -YIKES!!) and replaced by a duo team of accessories designers that have flip flopped from slavish homage to overtly courting the too-young Gossip Girl audience. The House that Val built was long a mainstay for gorgeous evening dresses, and of course, the signature red dress. The new designers would be good to return to that foundation.

Armani Prive by Giorgio Armani was the last of the old guard to join the couture crew. While I think him talented, I have never thought there was anything he did better than the rest. Surely Giorgio and Co. create beautiful things, but in my humble opinion, others do them better. Couture should push boundaries or make a statement in cut, colour, fabric, etc. Sameness therefore does not cut it for me. I think his shows have greatly benefited from the hand of good stylist. Whoever styles his shows does a good job of updating his sometimes dowdy clothing with modern hair and edgy accessories. These glittering add-ons sometimes so outshine the frocks that is clear that Armani himself did not design the jewels.

Now that all this is out of the way, we can examine the clothes!!!

Meet Madame X

Famed model Dovima in a Balenciaga suit, shot by Richard Avedon

As I have been pouring over images of the Fall Couture collections, I have been thinking of the best way to to evaluate them. Couture is indeed an art form, and deserves to be revered as much as great sculpture and painting. But let's not forget the medium of couture - clothes. You don't wear a painting. You don't put on a piece of sculpture. You wear couture. What more practical way is there to understand this medium, than through the lens of a buyer?! I thought it would be fun to create a fictional character, write a narrative of her life, define her desires, outline her schedules, and in so doing understand, "what would she wear?"

Now, it must be said that are real haute couture (h/c) buyers out there. These women are the well-heeled of the well-heeled. When embroidered dresses from Chanel can crouch close to $90,000 dollars at least, you know that these women do not worry about money. Many times they are the wives of billionaire businessmen, sheiks, or are royalty themselves. These women are largely unknown to the general public because the spotlight generally rests on Hollywood actresses and divas who don h/c to drum up publicity for the brand. However, those actresses must return the frocks the next day, whereas these women own their clothing.

Alex. A, a frequent blogger on Cathy Horyn's blog On The Runway, runs a blog herself called The Polyglot, and is the definitive word (at least that I have found) on the couture customer. She does a great job of researching who these ladies are, and examines their stylish choices.

Alex does an amazing, and I must say - exhaustive job - of defining for us the true essence of couture. I've included some topics and their corresponding links for those curious minds who seek to understand more about h/c :

Why so haute? : She examines the cost breakdown of these extravagant pieces.

High Art? : Can you really compare an embroidered dress to a Monet?

Inside an Haute Couture Garment: An intimate look at the work that goes into the clothes

These are all worth a read. Not a skim, or breeze over, but a 'prop-your-legs-up-and-relax-with a-good-book' read.

For now, let's meet our stylish fashionista. Inspired by the scandalous spirit of John Singer Sargent's portrait, let's call her Madame X.

Well, who is Madame X? She's 37. She is married to a Hong Kong billionaire who is CEO of a family-run construction company that is responsible for much of the construction boom in mainland China. No building above 10 stories goes up in Shanghai without his knowledge. Rumour has it that Monsieur X has ties to a powerful Hong Kong triad and is making a bid for political office next year. (If we're going to invent this ourselves, why not make it interesting?)

Although her husband is well-established, Madame X is a self-made woman. She was born in Venezuela and grew up an only child. Raised by her aristocratic mother (The Doña) who took her to couture shows when she was a child.

Madame X went to private school in South America, and did her MBA in Paris. There she met Mr.X. They have two daughters, aged 8 and 6, and a son, 5. A working mother, she runs the client-negiations arm of a communications firm that is competitive in the global market. A tough, no-nonense negotiator, Madame doesn't take no for an answer.

Now you're wondering? Why all these details? Ahhh! Look closer, and you'll see they tell a story about her habits and style :

1. First, her marriage to a Chinese businessman is reflective of the fact that there is a new emerging couture clientele - the Asian customer. The U.S and the Middle East have long been sources of well-heeled ladies, but now that the Far East is exploding economically, a new client base has been created. Brazil and India are also emerging markets.

2. She's 37. That means she's at a stage in her life where she knows exactly what she likes and what looks good on her. Yet she still has a youthful spirit that loves trying new things.

3. She Venezuelan. That means she is a hot-blooded, passionate South American. She likes bold flavours, bold colours, sensual silhouettes. Madame X is no plain Jane.

4. She comes from an aristocratic family. This serves to show two points. It tells us that Madame X is a woman of pedigree and upbringing. Also, her trips to the shows with her mother at a young age also make reference to couture's past. Many of today's clientele were similarly introduced to high fashion through this very method. Carolina Herrera is one example. She has talked about going to see her first Balenciaga show at a young age.

5. Doña X. The other purpose is to introduce Doña X, a couture customer in her own right. Such older women still make up a large portion of couture's customer base, and bring a list of wants and tastes all their own. We will examine some of her choices as well.

6. Her husband has political aspirations and is a CEO. This means that there will be a full social schedule packed with balls, openings, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, press luncheons, and the like that couture caters so well to. Her husband's bid for office means that the low-cut Gaultier number with the thigh-high slit will not be an option to be worn in public.

7. She has three young children and is a working mother. Therefore she needs a practical wardrobe. There's now way she can run after a 5 year old in a satin corset. This woman needs pants suits, good jackets, and things that she can throw on easily everyday. After all, no working mother I know has 3 hours to get ready in the morning.

Is it all falling into place? What we in effect have just done is create a customer based on marketing analysis of consumer buying habits. It's Marketing 101. Using her as a filter, we will examine the Fall collections together and ask ourselves:

Would Mme. X wear this?