Haute Couture More Than Luxury

Text & photos by Cici Translation by Sonia

Haute Couture More Than Luxury

Text & photos by Cici Translation by Sonia

While most major fashion weeks have turned into events where it is deemed trendy to be seen by the mainstream, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week remains exclusive, where only signifi cant celebrities and icons get invited.

高定的世界不止奢華

當今各大時裝周無不淪為街拍打卡點，湊熱鬧炫關系的成分也許多于時裝周的本質。只有分量極重的明星名人獲邀的法國巴黎高定時裝周，依然保持著一如既往的傲嬌高冷。

2017Annya Ma Singapore Haute Couture Show2017Annya Ma高定系列新加坡秀場 刺繡

Unlike the fashion weeks of ready-made garments, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week is of aristocratic heritage. lt has a strict standard on brands: there are merely two to three thousand people worldwide that can afford haute couture and they are generally of royal families, aristocratic, rich, famous, or A-list celebrities. As unaffected by the mass consumer market, Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week has become the creativity wonderland for fashion designers - there are wildest, unimaginable, and puzzling designs; there are also exquisite, outstanding, and extravagant ones; and there are always those transforming fashion week to action art and the quirky ones! Nothing is impossible here, may it be peculiarly hippie, immortally beautiful, behaviourally recalcitrant, or postmodern frigid.

To the general trend followers, the experimental action art is for admiration only and no ordinary people can harness it. We may not be able to afford the art-like apparel, but can still get a glimpse of the trend from the designs of each brand, preparing ourselves for the seasonal shopping spree.

不同于其他成衣時裝周，巴黎高定時裝周屬于貴族血統。其對品牌要求極其嚴格，而全球能夠消費得起高定的人也只有兩三千人，身份一般是王室、貴族、名媛、貴婦，最低也是一線明星。因為不被大眾消費市場影響，巴黎高定時裝周儼然成為設計師們的創意樂園，有異想天開，匪夷所思，不明所以的設計，也有精美絕倫，極盡奢華的，當然也少不了把時裝秀當成行為藝術，奇形怪狀的設計！嬉皮趣怪，美如天仙，行為乖張，后現代性冷淡等等，在這里沒有什么不可以。

當然，作為普通的時尚精，那些實驗性的行為藝術看看就好，別放心上，不是正常人能夠hold得住。雖然買不起這些金字塔如藝術品般的服裝，但從各品牌的設計中，自然get到時尚風向，為換季買買買做好功課。

Ashi Studio

Embroideries, beading, and feathers刺繡釘珠羽毛

Many brands boast fervently of their heavy beading, gems, crystals, metallic embroideries, and feathers. A gown for a queen on the coronation, an outfit for a fairy falling on earth, or apparel for a princess on a pilgrimage - in any case, extravagant and opulent. And yes, these three factors dominate the gowns and dresses on the fashion events this year!

許多大品牌恨不得亮瞎大家的眼睛，重工釘珠、寶石、水晶、金屬線刺繡、羽毛，這是女王登基的服裝，精靈降臨人間的服裝，公主朝圣的服裝，反正就是奢華大氣。今年的禮服或者小禮服，這三大元素稱霸時尚派對！

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

Elie Saab

High grey with fringe高級灰加流蘇

The colour high grey is back and it is metallic, low-profiled and elegant. Fringes are back, and one that flows with the body movement has become a focal point again. If you still have the fringed bags, shoes, or skirts from several years ago, it is time to dig them out!高級灰回歸，并且是帶有金屬感的灰色，低調優雅。流蘇又回來了，隨著身體的律動飄逸的流蘇又成為熱點，如果你還保留著幾年前的流蘇包包，鞋子，小裙子，可以翻出來了！

Jean Paul Gaultier

Dior

Sergeenko

Hat帽子

A fashion necessity. Many brands incorporate hats into their designs. Paring a hat with suits makes you look chic as well as elegant! Do get a hat this year!

不可或缺的時尚單品，多個品牌都在設計中加入帽子！套裝加頂帽子，顯得活潑調皮，也可以凸顯優雅！今年記得買一頂帽子！

Fendi

Floral花朵

Creating flower fairies, wishing dearly to wrap the whole body with flowers, and paving flowers on every inch of skin - in short, a mass of blossom! All women love flowers and it is only reasonable to wear them.

打造花仙子，恨不得用花朵裹著全身，每一寸肌膚都鋪滿花朵，一句話，花團錦簇！每個女子都愛花，干脆把花穿身上。

Giambattista Valli

Antonio Grimaldi

Gauze with overcoat輕紗加大衣

gauze is looming and enchanting; long skirts made of transparent gauze continue to have a place on the runway. An overcoat on gauze makes the contrast of heaviness and lightness, an unexpectedly elegant look. Don't put your summer gauze skirts away when you get your coats ready for autumn and winter this year!

輕紗，若隱若現，嫵媚迷人，透明輕紗長裙繼續在T臺上我行我素。外套大衣，厚重與輕盈的對比，意想不到的優雅。秋冬準備好長大衣，夏天的紗裙別收起來！

Christian Dior

Elie Saab

Velvet collage絲絨拼接

There are no women who don't love gorgeous and costly velvet! Collages of velvet and different types of fabric, such as gauze, produce many patterns. Keep on buying velvet skirts this year.

華麗的絲絨，好貴的絲絨，沒有女人不愛！絲絨與輕紗等不同布料拼接，變化出更多花樣。今年繼續入手絲絨裙吧。

Elie Saab

Annya Ma

Haute Couture in China

There are more and more designers focusing on high-quality made-to-order prodcuts, whose design and fabric are nearly as outstanding as the big international brands. The aforementioned design elements of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week this year were seen in some local highend made-toorder brands six months ahead of Paris, surprisingly in sync with the international trend. Girls dreaming of owning haute couture may choose the local brands for cost effectiveness.

About Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

1. Haute couture, originally French, is customised, hand-sewed clothing fitted and made by high-end fashion designers’ whose customers are royalty, aristocrats, A-list celebrities.

2. In France, the term haute couture is protected by law. The Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture determines which fashion houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses.

ABOUT巴黎高定時裝周

1.“高級定制”一詞源自法語Haute Couture，是指以皇室貴族和上流社會婦女為顧客，由高級時裝設計師主持的工作室為顧客個別量身，用手工定做的獨創性時裝作品。

2.在法國，Haute Couture是受法律保護的命名，只有得到法國高級時裝公會的認可，才有資格被稱為高級定制。

中國的高定

國內越來越多設計師專注于高定作品，設計與面料都直追國際大牌！以上提到的今年巴黎高定時裝周的設計元素，國內某些高定品牌提早半年作品面世，驚奇地與國際無縫對接。想擁有高定的女孩，可以嘗試選擇國內品牌，起碼性價比高！