By Yunlan Mu
Haute couture is the process of crafting unique custom-fitted high-end fashion creations from start to finish by hand. it centered on creating outfits from high-end, costly, and habitually infrequent fabrics, stitched with particular attention to detail and completed by the most capable and experienced sewers, often adopting time-consuming, hand-executed methods. An haute couture garment is always considered for a single customer, with dimensions and body posture. Haute couture clothing has no price tag since the amount of time, cash, and skill invested in each completed piece outweighs the cost. During our study trip in Milan, we were honored to be invited to visit the Versace studio. And to determine how Atelier Versace presents its haute couture, which is essential for an in-depth description of the brand.
Haute couture is a trademarked phrase, and any designer cannot claim to be a couture designer. Only a few designers are given the title of haute couture. Some of the most well-known haute couture designers are Christian Dior, Chanel, and Versace (Pawar, 2021). ‘Couture’ has recently been a term used by several fashion labels that may or may not be associated with the label. Furthermore, Haute fashion displays are similar to theatrical performances. These crucial elements create a moment from the clothing to the models to the production to the music (Morley, 2017). Haute Couture displays and events are hosted in some of the world’s most prestigious institutions and breathtaking locales (Pawar, 2021). Therefore, Haute couture is a highly protected term and is only accredited to a few designers, such as Versace.
Many manufacturing procedures have grown automated in recent decades, lowering the cost of most clothes. On the other hand, handmade designs cannot be compared to machine-made designs. Artists and craftspeople admire Versace couture pieces because they show their hard work. If fast fashion had been the only sort of clothing accessible, many embroideries and beaded methods would have died out since they took too long to mass-produce (Pawar, 2021). This is also a great way to introduce a new fabric or method before it becomes popular. Clients may take pride in the fact that they possess a one-of-a-kind object that no one else has (Barnard, 2020). They may not grasp how a product is made, but they may still appreciate possessing the most significant luxury object. This is also a way for the designer to express their most creative side, which may or may not be successful (Editor, 2020). The designer can develop garments based on their desires rather than commercial demand. Yet, if effectively executed, many of these outlandish concepts find their way into everyday fashion in a little more toned-down version (Morley, 2017). Therefore, couture brands like Versace offer a level of craftsmanship where the designer can create clothing they wish and pieces made show up in everyday fashion in a slightly more toned-down form.
Versace is the Italian royal dynasty in the realm of fashion. Even their Medusa emblem is more influenced by Greek art. In its way, luxury fashion altered the globe. Versace is a brand that is distinctive in its element selection and brilliant in terms of marketing and establishing high-profile partnerships (Barnard, 2020). Versace is also at the top of the list of seductive, sensual, and appealing clothes designers list. Versace’s apparel is of exceptional quality since it is not only developed and made but also promoted and retailed, precisely as its creator had envisioned (Editor, 2020). Versace has always created great garments in a quirky and seductive style. This has been the key to the brand’s success since its inception till now. Consequently, Versace began placing its mark on fashionable accessories, furnishings, and home items in the early years. Gianni later launched a silk line with leopard skin and Medusa head prints (Ahuja, 2016). As a result, Versace has become synonymous with high fashion. Versace’s Couture line established its classification, and it is superb and distinctive (Barnard, 2020). Therefore, Versace stands out in the world of fashion and is one brand that is not just exclusive in its choice of constituents but is also a prodigy when it comes to marketing its assemblies and making high-profile networks.
Various collections have provided a strong picture of how the Versace brand regarded itself as Haute Couture. Versace’s Haute Couture Fall 2016 Collection was concerned about creative draping (Barnard, 2020). The silhouettes generally comprised gowns, but these were gowns with uniqueness. The assembly blended cashmere and satin, with a little shine thrown in. In addition, black served as the backdrop for pastel colors such as lavender, lilac, salmon, and sky blue, which were employed to produce flowing motions (Editor, 2020). Almost every dress included drape, pleats, and even fringes. The majority of these design features contributed to the dresses’ asymmetry (Pawar, 2021). Some were combined with black cashmere jackets with a colored inner face to generate conflicting collars and offer color pops in capes and sleeves (Morley, 2017). Therefore, the Versace brand has represented itself as an Haute Couture and is instanced through various collections, as seen by the Versace Fall of 2016 Haute Couture Collection.
Donatella Versace’s Versace brand appeared at the Met Gala 2022 with a collection of personalized creations for members of the Versace family, showcasing its Haute designs. Blake Lively, for example, wore an outfit that highlighted New York’s beauty and artwork. She walked the red carpet in a specially made Atelier Versace tulle column outfit embroidered with crystal with an outsized foiled bow at the waist untangled to reveal a second look in Verdigris patina that mirrored the oxidation of New York’s Statue of Liberty (“Versace at Met Gala”, 2022). Cardi B also showed up in a high-voltage twist on Gilded Age high-glamour attire (“Versace at Met Gala”, 2022). The embroidered gown required 1300 hours of handwork and a kilometer of golden metal chains to create, demonstrating how distinctive and gorgeous Versace clothes are. In addition, Cardi B was accompanied by Donatella Versace, who wore a couture tulle bustier with an embroidered finish inspired by Gilded Age corsetry (“Versace at Met Gala”, 2022). These attractive and distinctive features of the Versace gowns worn by celebrities highlighted Versace’s persona and Haute Couture style.
Couture labels like Atelier Versace provide a degree of artistry in which the designer may produce any apparel they want. Furthermore, clients may take pride in the fact that they possess a one-of-a-kind object that no one else has. Versace’s Couture collection established Versace’s place in the fashion world, and it is fantastic and one-of-a-kind.
References
Ahuja, S. (2016).Atelier Versace Fall 2016 Haute Couture Collection Review. Shilpa Ahuja. https://shilpaahuja.com/atelier-versace-fall-2016-haute-couture-collection-review/.
Barnard, M. (2020).Fashion theory. Routledge.
Editor, F. (2020).History of Versace and Background – fashionintime.org. fashionintime.org. Retrieved 9 May 2022, from https://www.fashionintime.org/history-of-versace/.
Morley, J. (2017).Glitz, glamour and tragedy: how Gianni Versace rewrote the rules of fashion. the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/jul/11/glitz-glamour-tragedy-how-gianni-versace-rewrote-rules-fashion.
Pawar, A. (2021).Guide to understanding the world of Haute Couture. In.france.fr. https://in.france.fr/en/news/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-haute-couture.
Versace at Met Gala. (2022). https://www.versace.com/international/en/world-of-versace/stories/news-projects/met-gala-2022.html.
