The Real & Big Business of High Fashion's Catwalk
For those who bow down at the altar of designer fashion, the industry is a valid reflection of society as a whole and, for that reason, as important a part of culture as, say, pop music. More basically, we all need clothes and there are now very few clothes that are purely functional. Most of the things we wear these days may loosely be branded fashion. The sight of someone dressed in clothing from a different era entirely would seem remarkable, after all.
This week, the haute couture season hit Paris, showcasing the world's most expensive and exclusive garments, all hand-stitched, beaded and embroidered by the world's most accomplished craftspeople who do their jobs wearing little white lab coats and with tiny purses of pins tied round their necks. Anachronistic? Surely not?
An haute couture garment costs upwards of £10,000 a pop, which makes it unsurprising that there are only around 1,000 women in the world wealthy enough, and indeed with the inclination, to buy them. The rather less rarefied although still reassuringly expensive Paris menswear collections follow the haute couture. Then the fashion caravan moves to New York, then London, to Milan and finally back to Paris again for the month-long haul that is the autumn/winter 2007 women's ready-to-wear.
What's in it for the designers?
In the first place, the shows are attended by buyers from around the world who purchase the clothes to sell in their stores six months from now. For lesser known designers in particular, the shows are a direct source of income. It should be noted, however, that buyers also visit designers' showrooms following the initial impact of the show and, depending on the brand in question, are likely to see the more obviously commercial pieces behind the scenes.
The shows are packed with journalists interested in the more show-stopping pieces. These duly appear in print, on television and on the internet even before the last model has made it backstage. Although the more expensive shows may cost upwards of £500,000, they still work out cheaper than advertising campaigns shot with big-name models and superstar photographers and have a much more immediate and mainstream audience.
Finally, and most obviously , such marketing may well persuade us to buy more affordable, spin-off designer sunglasses/ cosmetics/fragrance and so forth.
Can you buy the clothes you see on the catwalk?
Sometimes you can. There are certain designers who feel very strongly that what you see on the catwalk should be just what you get in a store six months down the line. There are others who use the shows as inspiration, a high-impact, quick fix to let press and buyers into the mood of their forthcoming collection, safe in the knowledge that a great pair of black trousers, say, and, more crucially, the season's "must-have" accessories are best seen in the showroom, after the main event.
Most designers do include at least some "show pieces" in their collections - gowns made entirely out of fresh flowers, say, or so huge the model wearing them needs to be escorted as she walks. Even these have their use beyond the catwalk. They may appear in the windows of designer or department stores, for example, or may be ordered by those who, well, let's just say like to stand out in a crowd.
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Original Source : Susannah Frankel
