Recently, Oscar de la Renta was quoted by New York Magazine as saying “Couture has become completely irrelevant”. 
 

That statement brought tears to my eyes.  As an artist and seamstress, and collector of these beauties, nothing thrills me more than a fabulous couture dress. It doesn’t matter if it was last season… or last century. The thrill is the same.

I can spot them from across the room. The yards and yards of gorgeous silk chiffon, or crisp organza, or fine silks or crepes, they just flow.  The details are breathtaking; embroidery, appliqués, lace, tulle, etc.  The lines are clean and fluid. The fit is flawless. The garment itself creates a true goddess out of the woman that slips it on.  The structure and underpinnings are built into the garment so there is no need for shapers, or specialty bras or corsets or tapes, etc. The dress does it all.  And the inside of this creation is as beautifully finished as the outside. You will not find an unfinished seam anywhere.  

These dresses are works of art and are made to last. The designers take pride in their creations because their name is on them. Women feel special just by putting them on; they stand taller, walk more gracefully, and become more elegant.  The dress becomes part of them.  Imagine, all that just from a dress.

The artist in me wants to cry to think that this art could die along with so many other art forms and skills.  It is just like when I wanted to buy a kitchen cabinet. The salesman told me how they “make” the wood. (Apparently 3 ply plywood is good).  When I asked, “whatever happened to cut down a tree, make a board, make a cabinet?” he looked at me like I had two heads and said “they don’t do that anymore”.  Sigh. So sad.

And now, they are threatening the end of couture fashion.  And don’t let that word scare you. Couture is simply the ART of designing, making, and selling highly fashionable, usually custom-made clothing for women by an actual person. It is time consuming, and yes, more expensive, but a work of art, a labor of love, a creation. 

I truly hope couture fashion is not a dying art. In my opinion, an element of civility and refinement died with the popularity of cheap fast fashion. And cheap, fast fashion creates a wealth of other problems that aren’t even fashion related.

See the next article in this series, “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry by Luz Claudio”

So, until the art of couture fashion is gone forever, I will continue fall in love every time I have the fortune of encountering a couture dress, be it from 2010 or 1950 or whenever.