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ABSTRACT: Contrary to the predictionof Yves Saint-Laurent, Haute Couturehas not died. After two decades of deaththroes, breathing tubes still pump lifethrough its veins to ensure that it contin-ues to lead luxury market advertising.

Of course, this is not the state we fash-ion professionals, whether designers orwriters, would wish for, nor do we ap-prove of the postmodern direction thatrecent Haute Couture has taken, whichis progressively sullying rather than glo-rifying the profession of fashion design-ers. This article offers numbers, state-ments and reflections made by theprotagonists of Parisian couture, enough

to certify the debacle of the last aristo-cratic art in history. The text aims toprove that its aristocratic essence be-came the pathogen of its misfortune(democracy despises symbols of osten-tation and Haute Couture is the mostconspicuous of all) and that HauteCouture signed its own death sentencethe day it dissociated itself from HauteCulture.

KEYWORDS: Haute Couture, contem-porary fashion, French fashion.

Couture more haughty thanhaute

In fashion jargon, couture and prt--porter are not the same. We use theterm prt--porter to refer to industrial

clothing manufacture, while couture al-ludes to predominantly hand-tailoredclothing. In short, couture is a craft and

prt--porter is an industry. This articledoes not address the necessary, eternaland universal profession of tailoring,but rather the Parisian institution that,one day in its youth, looked in the mir-ror and said, I am haute. And since

this article may be of interest to peopleoutside the industry, I will begin by ex-plaining what haute means as appliedto couture.

a. Haute means expensive. Hauteliterally means high and, if we analyseit semantically, couture cannot be highany more than it could be fat. The epi-thet high was appended in ametaphorical sense, and I think this was

done to mask its gory significance: highmeans expensive. But we do not call itExpensive Couture because it soundstoo businesslike. The difficult part is de-termining when couture is onerousenough to be considered haute. Thequestion is relevant, but fashion housesremain silent in embarrassment when itis put to them. In 1970, an unadornedgarment was going for a minimum of10,000 euros;1 according to the econo-

mist Bernard Girard, in the 21st centurythis number may be four or five timeshigher.2 However, the prices are not reg-ulated by the Chambre Syndicale de laHaute Couture (Trade Union of HauteCouture). Didier Grumbach, presidentof the Fdration Franaise de laCouture, du Prt--Porter des Couturierset des Crateurs de Mode (FrenchFederation of Couture, Prt--Porter

Couturiers and Fashion Designers), stat-ed in 2004 that Haute Couture had be-come more accessible than ever

8

The demiseand transfiguration

of Haute Couture

Pablo Pena Gonzlez

Doctor of Art History.

Professor of Design History

for the Region of Madrid

[email protected]

1 As quoted by the journalist Corinne Jeammet.

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotes

appearing in the article are taken from the

report by JEAMMET, C. Une appellation rduite

11 maisons. Paris: Culture et Loisirs, 2007.

Available online: .

It includes the following articles: Les membres

invits et correspondants; De 106 11 maisons

de Haute Couture en 2008; Des critres

dobtention plus simples; Quel avenir pour la

Haute Couture?; La Haute Couture a chang depositionnement (Entrevista a Didier Grumbach);

Entre Haute Couture et pret--porter; La Haute

Couture est un rve honreux; Des maisons

et des groupes. Also available online:

.

2 GIRARD, B. Lindustrie du luxe et la Haute

Couture aprs le dpart dYves Saint-Laurent,

2004. Available online:

.


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RESUMEN: No ha muerto la Alta Costuraen contra de la previsin de Yves Saint-Laurent. Despus de dos dcadas deagona, palpita todava conectada a tubosde oxigenacin para que contine lideran-do la publicidad del mercado del lujo. No

es, desde luego, el estado que le desea-ramos la gente de la moda, seamos mo-distas o escritores, ni aprobamos esa de-riva postmoderna de la ltima Alta Costuraque en vez de ensalzar la profesin delcosturero la enloda progresivamente. Esteartculo recoge nmeros, declaraciones yreflexiones de los protagonistas de la cos-tura parisina, suficientes para certificar ladebacle del ltimo arte aristocrtico de la

Historia. Trataremos de demostrar que suesencia aristocrtica se convirti en pa-tgeno de su fatalidad (la democraciaabomina de los smbolos de ostentaciny la Alta Costura es el ms conspicuo) ytambin que la Alta Costura firm su sen-tencia el da que se disoci de la AltaCultura.

PALABRAS CLAVE: Alta Costura, moda con-tempornea, moda francesa.

Costura ms que alta, altiva

En la jerga del vestir, costura y confeccinno son lo mismo. Reservamos el trminoconfeccin para referirnos a la confeccinindustrial, y costura para aludir a la con-feccin predominantemente manual. Ensuma, la costura es una artesana y la con-

feccin una industria. Este artculo no ver-sa sobre el oficio de la costura, necesa-rio, eterno y universal, sino sobre esa

institucin parisina que un da de juven-tud se mir al espejo y se dijo: soy alta.Y como es posible que este artculo inte-rese a una persona ajena al gremio, co-menzar por explicar qu significa altaen una costura.

a. Alta significa cara. Si nos atene-mos a la semntica, la costura no puedeser alta como no puede ser gorda. El ep-teto alta se adjunta con sentido metaf-rico, y yo creo que lo hace para soslayarsu cruento significado: alta significa cara.Pero no decimos la Cara Costura porquesuena a negocio... Ms difcil es sabercundo la costura es lo bastante onerosapara ser considerada alta. La pregunta es

pertinente, pero las casas de costura en-mudecen avergonzadas cuando se laformulan. En 1970 se barajaba la cifra m-nima de 10.000 euros para una prenda devestir desornamentada 1; segn el econo-mista Bernard Girard, en el siglo XXI esacifra puede haberse multiplicado porcuatro o por cinco2. No obstante, los pre-cios no estn regulados por la CmaraSindical de la Alta Costura. DidierGrumbach, presidente de la Federacin

Francesa de la Costura y la Confeccin,afirmaba en 2004 que la Alta Costura sehaba vuelto ms asequible que nuncaporque ahora los vestidos ya no se recar-gan necesariamente de plumas, pedrer-as y bordados; y aada que DominiqueSirop, una alta-costurera, restringa losprecios para equipararlos a los de la con-feccin de alto nivel3. Para que se haganuna idea, una chaqueta de confeccin de

Chanel no suele superar los 4.000 euros.b. Alta significa oficial. En Francia,

el marchamoHaute Couturelo otorga el

9

bitoy transfiguracin

de la Alta Costura

Pablo Pena Gonzlez

Doctor en Historia del Arte.

Profesor de Historia del Diseo

de la Comunidad de Madrid

[email protected]

1 Segn la periodista Corinne Jeammet. Salvo

que se indique lo contrario, todas las

declaraciones que aparecen en el artculo

proceden del reportaje de JEAMMET, C. Une

appellation rduite 11 maisons. Pars: Cultureet Loisirs, 2007. Disponible en Internet:

.

Comprende tambin los siguientes artculos:

Les membres invits et correspondants; De

106 11 maisons de Haute Couture en 2008;

Des critres dobtention plus simples; Quel

avenir pour la Haute Couture?; La Haute

Couture a chang de positionnement(Entrevista a Didier Grumbach); Entre Haute

Couture et pret--porter; La Haute Couture

est un rve honreux; Des maisons et des

groupes. Disponibles tambin en Internet:

.2 GIRARD, B. Lindustrie du luxe et la Haute Couture

aprs le dpart dYves Saint-Laurent, 2004. Dispo-

nible en Internet: .3 Vase nota 1.


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because now dresses are not necessari-ly adorned with feathers, preciousstones and embroidery. He added thatDominique Sirop, a haute-couturier,limited prices to make them comparable

with the cost of top-of-the-range prt--porter clothing.3 To give you an idea, aprt--porter jacket by Chanel usuallycosts less than 4,000 euros.

b. Haute means official. InFrance, the Haute Couture label isgranted by the Ministry of Economy,Finance and Industry through theChambre Syndicale de la HauteCouture. This union is the institution re-sponsible for assessing and evaluatingyour company and certifying before theMinistry that it meets the prescribedstandards. Consequently, in France cou-ture is haute when the union says soand therefore the adjective haute alsomeans official.

Yet, who really cares what a Frenchtrade union says? Do you know, for ex-ample, who couldnt care less?Balenciaga. He was repeatedly invited

to join the sect of haute couturiers.Naturally! Balenciaga was the most pres-tigious, most admired designer, theBodhisattva of elegance and the man who taught Courrges, Ungaro andGivenchy, all renowned designers; healso created the most expensive and ex-clusive outfits in Paris. CristbalBalenciaga must have thought theHaute Couture label was for those in

need of recognition something he al-ready had in abundance.c. Haute means artistic. To ex-

plain this, we must provide some histor-ical background. Fashion history identi-fies Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895)as the founder of Haute Couture, theman who turned a craft into an art formand invented catwalks as a showcasingsystem. Lets go step by step:

c1. In the 19th century, the form of

dresses was determined by three equal-ly important factors: dialogue with thedesigner, models in womens publica-tions and the ideas and aspirations ofthe female clients. However, Worthmade a name for himself as an artistprecisely because he worked followinghis own imagination, his own criteria,and he designed his dress collectionsbefore they were even ordered. In oth-

er words, Worth was the first designerwho was able to work like a contempo-rary artist, which involves the creation

of prototypes before any orders areplaced. We must remember that, fromMichelangelo to Tiepolo, artists primari-ly painted commissions; it was not untilthe 19th century that painting salons

were opened in which artists could dis-play proposals born of their own cre-ative instincts and preoccupations, or oftheir ability to predict what would sell.Worth was the first among fashion de-signers to assume this role of the con-temporary artist.

c2. Did we say salons? Following theexample of painters, Worth came up with a salon to display his creations.Since clothing is not best viewed on thehanger, he invented catwalk shows withmodels, which have since become thequintessential showcases of fashion.

Lets draw some conclusions. If youdesign before selling, if you force your-self to hit the bulls-eye before shooting,you have to come up with a recognis-able style to back up your novelties anda prestige that makes them desirable.With Worth, the craftsman tailor became

an artistic couturier, and through himfashion was elevated to an art form.Since that time, we can also say thatcouture is haute when, ideally, it is glo-rified and endowed with artisticnessby a designer who is touted as an artis-tic genius. Worth and his heirs were alsoresponsible for founding the ChambreSyndicale de la Haute Couture pourMesdames et Mademoiselles, which was

originally intended to pursue espionageand copies.d. Haute means Parisian. Until

2001 the Chambre standards also de-manded that associated fashion housesbe located in Paris as a reminder of thegeographic origin of the phenomenon.Not even a house in Marseille or Biarritzcould be granted theHaute Couturedis-tinction.

Moribundia of Haute Couture

In the year 1968, Yves Saint-Laurent dra-matically announced the death of HauteCouture. Balenciaga, spiritual mentor ofthe brilliant artisans, closed his house in1969. Since then, the signs of misfortunehovering over the Grande Dame offashion have multiplied.

a. Obituaries. The sociologist GillesLipovetsky believes that Haute Coutureis finished and calls it centenarian fash-

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3See endnote 1.


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Ministerio de Economa, Finanzas eIndustria a travs de la Cmara Sindical dela Alta Costura. La Cmara es la institucinencargada de estudiar y evaluar tu empre-sa y certificar al Ministerio que cumple con

la normativa prescrita. As, en Francia, lacostura es alta cuando la Cmara as la re-conoce; de modo que el adjetivo alta sig-nifica tambin oficial.

Pero, a quin le importa lo que diga unacmara sindical francesa? Saben, por ejem-plo, a quin le importaba un bledo? ABalenciaga. Fue invitado reiteradamente aintegrarse en la secta de los altos costure-ros. Cmo no! Balenciaga era el diseadorms prestigioso, el ms admirado, el bodi-

satva de la elegancia y el profesor deCourrges, Ungaro y Givenchy, todosellos diseadores reputados; adems pro-duca los trajes ms caros y exclusivos dePars. Pensara don Cristbal que el marcha-moHaute Couturedeba ser para quienesnecesitaran reconocimiento; que a l le so-braba.

c. Alta significa artstica. Para ex-plicarlo debemos hacer un poco de his-

toria. La de la moda conviene en sealara Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895)como fundador de la Alta Costura, aquelque sublim la artesana en arte e ide laspasarelas como sistema de exhibicin.Vayamos por partes:

c1. En el siglo XIX la forma de los ves-tidos surga a partes iguales del dilogocon la modista, los figurines de la prensafemenina y las ideas y aspiraciones de las

clientas. Por el contrario, Worth consi-gui labrarse un nombre como artistaprecisamente porque actuaba siguiendosu propia imaginacin, su propio criterio,e ideaba sus colecciones de vestidos an-tes de que fueran encargados. Es decir,Worth fue el primer modista que logrtrabajar como un artista contemporneo,y esto supone la creacin de prototiposantes de que se efecte encargo alguno.Recordemos que, desde Miguel ngel

hasta Tipolo, los artistas pintaban fun-damentalmente encargos; slo en el sigloXIX se abren salones de pintura dondeexhibir propuestas nacidas de sus que-rencias e inquietudes creativas, o de suolfato para colegir qu se va a vender.Este papel del artista contemporneo selo arroga, entre los costureros y por vezprimera, Worth.

c2. Decamos salones? Siguiendo el

ejemplo de los pintores, Worth ingeni unsaln para exhibir sus creaciones. Comola ropa luce pobremente colgada de

perchas, invent los desfiles de maniques,desde entonces el escaparate de la modapor antonomasia.

Extraigamos conclusiones. Si diseasantes de vender, si te obligas a dar en la

diana antes de disparar, ser preciso queconfigures un estilo reconocible querespalde tus novedades y un prestigioque las haga deseables. Con Worth, elcosturero artesano se convirti en costu-rero artstico, y con l la moda fue subli-mada en arte. Desde entonces tambinpodemos decir que la costura es altacuando, idealmente, se sublima dotndo-la de artisticidad por medio de un di-seador que es promocionado como ge-nio artstico. Tambin fueron Worth y susherederos quienes en 1878 fundaron laCmara Sindical de la Confeccin y laCostura para seoras y seoritas con elpropsito inicial de perseguir el espiona-je y las copias.

d. Alta significaba parisina. Hasta2001 la normativa de la Cmara regulabatambin que las casas se ubicaran en Parsa fin de recordar el origen geogrfico del

fenmeno. Ni siquiera se poda concederel marchamo Haute Couturea una casade Marsella o Biarritz.

Moribundia de la Alta

Costura

Corra el ao 1968 cuando Yves Saint-Laurent anunciaba dramticamente la

muerte de la Alta Costura. Balenciaga,mentor espiritual del brillante artesanado,cierra su casa en 1969. Desde entonces,se han multiplicado los indicios de fata-lidad que se ciernen sobre la gran damade la moda.

a. Esquelas. El socilogo GillesLipovetsky considera a la Alta Costura fi-niquitada al denominarla moda centena-ria, pues su imperio se circunscribe a unacenturia entre los aos 1870 y 19704; des-

pus de esta fecha, en efecto, los disea-dores de la confeccin son ms popula-res e imitados que los de la costura. DidierGrumbach est de acuerdo y seala al res-ponsable: A mediados de los aos 60, laconfeccin industrial (prt--porter) sevuelve decididamente creativa y comien-za a desplazar a la alta costura5. Jean-PaulGaultier declaraba en julio de 2004:Desde el punto de vista econmico la Alta

Costura es un desastre. Me encanta par-ticipar en su cada, porque, a qu enga-arse?, es el fin6.

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4 LIPOVETSKY, G., El imperio de lo efmero,

Barcelona: Anagrama, 1990.

5 JEAMMET, C., Entrevista a Didier Grumbach.

Vase nota 1.

6 Vase nota 1.


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ion, given that its heyday is limited tothe century from 1870 to 1970.4 Indeed,after the latter date, prt--porter design-ers have become more popular andmore widely imitated than couturiers.

Didier Grumbach agrees and identifiesthe guilty party: In the mid-1960s, prt--porter became decidedly creative andbegan to displace Haute Couture.5 In July 2004, Jean-Paul Gaultier declared,From an economic standpoint, HauteCouture is a disaster. I love participatingin its downfall because why fool our-selves? this is the end.6

b. Numbers. At the dawn of the 20thcentury, Paris had 106 Haute Couturehouses, including all of those that hadforged the legend: Messrs. Worth,Doucet, Patou and Poiret, and Mmes.Paqun, Lanvn, Lucile, Vionnet,Schiaparelli and Chanel. After World WarII ended, the number of houses droppedto 60, but rather than a crisis, this sig-nalled the start of the Golden Age ofHaute Couture, for these sixty business-es generated profits for the French state

comparable to those of the automobileindustry. The leaders of the industry were Dior, Chanel (again) andBalenciaga (although he was not aunion member). As indicated earlier, theanaemia dates from 1970. In 1980 thesector had been reduced to 22 houses;in 1997, there were 18; and in 2002, itwas down to 12. In 2007, a mere ten re-mained: Adeline Andr, Chanel,

Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier,Givenchy, Christian Lacroix (which cele-brated its twentieth anniversary in 2007),Emanuel Ungaro, Dominique Sirop,Franck Sorbier and Jean-Louis Scherrer.

The diminishing number of clients isalways an estimated figure because cou-ture houses refuse to provide data.Denise Dulbois of the ChambreSyndicale de la Haute Couture indicatedthat the number of female clients was

around 3,000 in the seventies; the econ-omist Bernard Girard estimates thatclientele is now limited to a mere 250 to300 women.7

c. Lack of interest in the HauteCouture label. The most recent standardregulating this label, approved inOctober 2001, is so liberal that hundredsof houses could boast this status today.It hardly insists that garments be hand-

crafted and custom-made within thebusiness itself, and houses are no longerrequired to hold two fashion shows

each year (in the last week of Januaryand the last week of July). Likewise,they are not required to produce a min-imum of 75 garments per season, nor isParis mentioned as the location of the

houses headquarters. The web page ofthe French Ministry of Industry revealsthe reason behind this regulatory vague-ness: to allow a greater number of cou-turiers to be eligible for the HauteCouture label.8 However, this measurehas proven utterly useless, because ithas not reversed the trend of diminish-ing applications. In other words, al-though every facility is offered, no oneis requesting the label! It must be thateven French couturiers no longer careabout it.

d. Invitations to designers. Faced withthe threat that such a tiny sector onlyten couture houses associated with thelabel may not excite the interest of thepress and public opinion, since 1997 theChambre has adopted the custom ofinviting (should we say chasing after?)prt--porter designers to show their

creations on the catwalk during HauteCouture Week. The need is evident, forin July 2007 only six of the ten couturehouses participated in the fashion show.(Mutiny on board?) To avoid disaster, 17supporting artists were invited: Adam Jones, Anne-Valrie Hash, Boudicca,Carven, Cathy Pill, Chistophe Josse,Eymeric Franois, Felipe OliveiraBaptista, Gustavo Lins, Lefranc-Ferrant,

Marc Le Bihan, Maurizio Galante,Nicolas Le Cauchois, On aura tout vu,Richard Ren, Grard Watelet and UdoEdling. Do any of these names soundfamiliar? Of course not! They are the al-leged new talents of high-end prt--porter fashion. In past editions, Armaniand Valentino opened the shows, butthey did not wish to repeat the experi-ence. In January 2008 the Spanish de-signer Josep Font will participate in the

show.e. Pursuit of celebrities. At the height

of desperation to consolidate its privi-leged media status, Haute Couture hasaccepted pandering to celebrities as anunavoidable humiliation. In The Fashion Conspiracy, a highly entertain-ing gossipy expos of the fashion indus-try written by the journalist NicholasColeridge, we read that couture houses

deny this practice yet accuse their com-petitors of engaging in it.9At least Dioropenly admits having a department of

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4 LIPOVETSKY, G., El imperio de lo efmero,

Barcelona: Anagrama, 1990.

5 JEAMMET, C., Interview with Didier Grumbach.

See endnote 1.

6 See endnote 1.

7 See endnote 2.

8

In October 2001, Christian Pierret, the FrenchSecretary of State and Industry, approved the

modifications to the regulations governing the

concession of the Haute Couturelabel at the

request of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute

Couture. France, Ministry of Industry:

.

9 COLERIDGE, N., La conspiracin de la moda

(Original title: The Fashion Conspiracy),

Barcelona: Ediciones B, p. 214.


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b. Nmeros. A comienzos del siglo XXPars contaba con 106 casas HauteCouture; entre ellas, todas las que forja-ron su leyenda: los caballeros Worth,Doucet, Patou y Poiret, y las damas

Paquin, Lanvin, Lucile, Vionnet, Schia-parelli y Chanel. Terminada la SegundaGuerra Mundial, el nmero de casas se re-dujo a 60, pero no podemos hablar de cri-sis de la Alta Costura sino de Edad de Oro,porque ese medio centenar largo de em-presas reportarn al Estado francs una ri-queza comparable a la de la industria au-tomovilstica. Dior, de nuevo Chanel yBalenciaga (aunque no sindicado) lidera-ban el sector. La anemia, como hemos in-dicado antes, data de 1970. En 1980 el sec-tor se haba reducido a 22 casas; en 1997,a 18; en 2002, a 12; en 2007 sobreviven 10: Adeline Andr, Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, ChristianLacroix (que cumple veinte aos en2007), Emanuel Ungaro, Dominique Sirop,Franck Sorbier y Jean-Louis Scherrer.

La reduccin de clientes siempre es unacifra estimada porque las casas de costu-

ra se niegan a proporcionar datos. DeniseDulbois, de la Cmara Sindical de la AltaCostura, cifraba en 3.000 las clientas en losaos setenta; el economista BernardGirard las reduce en nuestros das a 250o 300 mujeres7.

c. Desinters por el marchamo HauteCouture. La ltima normativa que lo re-gula, aprobada en octubre de 2001, es tanliberal que hoy podra haber cientos decasas presumiendo de poseerlo. Apenasinsiste en que los productos deben con-feccionarse a mano y a medida dentro dela propia empresa, pero ya no hay obli-gacin de montar un par de desfiles al ao(en la ltima semana de enero y en la l-tima de julio), ni se exige un mnimo de75 prendas por temporada, ni se mencio-na a Pars como ubicacin de la casa ma-triz. La pgina digital del Ministerio deIndustria francs revela el propsito

de tanta vaguedad normativa: que un ma-yor nmero de costureros pueda accederal marchamoHaute Couture8. Medida ab-solutamente infructuosa, porque no ha de-tenido la reduccin de solicitudes. Esdecir, aunque se ofrecen todas las facili-dades nadie solicita el marchamo! Serque incluso a los costureros franceses lestrae sin cuidado.

d. Invitaciones a diseadores. Ante la

amenaza de que un sector tan diminutoslo diez casas de costura ungidas conel marchamo no excite el concurso de

la prensa y la opinin pblica, desde 1997 laCmara ha adoptado la costumbre de in-vitar (deberamos decir perseguir?) a di-seadores procedentes de la confeccinindustrial a desfilar en la Semana de la

Alta Costura. Falta les hace, pues en ju-lio de 2007 slo desfilaron 6 de esas 10casas. (Motn a bordo?) Para evitar el so-foco se invit a 17 teloneros: Adam Jones, Anne-Valrie Hash, Boudicca, Carven,Cathy Pill, Chistophe Josse, EymericFranois, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, GustavoLins, Lefranc-Ferrant, Marc Le Bihan,Maurizio Galante, Nicolas Le Cauchois,On aura tout vu, Richard Ren, GrardWatelet y Udo Edling. Les suena el nom-bre de alguno de ellos? Claro que no!:son los presuntos nuevos talentos de laconfeccin industrial de alta gama. Enotras ediciones tambin actuaron comoteloneros Armani y Valentino, pero nohan querido repetir. En enero de 2008 hadesfilado el diseador espaol JosepFont.

e. Persecuciones a celebrities. En el col-mo de la desesperacin por consolidar su

liderazgo meditico, la Alta Costura haaceptado como una humillacin inevita-ble la lisonja a las celebrities. EnLa cons-piracin de la moda , divertidsimo men-tidero del traje escrito por el periodistaNicholas Coleridge, leemos que las casasniegan esta prctica, pero acusan a suscompetidoras de hacerlo9. Bueno, Dior re-conoce abiertamente que posee un depar-tamento de famosas a las que acosa y re-gala vestidos.

f. Carencia manifiesta de integridad es-tilstica. La creacin a medida no debe im-plicar necesariamente el servilismo que losaficionados a la moda hemos detectadoen algunos desfiles de Alta Costura. Laconfirmacin de esta manera de actuar, tanpragmtica como innoble, que llega a san-cionar lo hortera como adaptacin a laclientela, la explica jocosamente el mis-mo Coleridge:

Hay un juego que se puede practicardurante los desfiles de Ungaro. La pren-sa britnica, menos reverente ante Ungaroque la de otros pases, suele hacerlo. Elobjetivo consiste en adivinar, cada vez queaparece un modelo en la pasarela, a quseccin de su pblico va destinado. Losindicios son el botoneado y la fuerza delos colores. Una telaraa de perlas en elcuerpo incita murmullos de Bahrein,

Riyadh; mientras que un estampado enverde lima y rosa indica Fort Worth oDes Moines10.

13

7 Vase nota 2.

8 En octubre de 2001 Christian Pierret, secretario de

Estado y de Industria, aprob las modificaciones al

reglamento que regula la concesin del marchamo

Haute Couturea peticin de la Cmara Sindical

de la Costura. Francia, Ministerio de Industria:

.

9 COLERIDGE, N., La conspiracin de la moda,

Barcelona: Ediciones B, p. 214.

10 COLERIDGE, N., ob. cit., p. 242.


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female celebrities whom it pursues re-lentlessly and showers with free dresses.

f. Evident lack of stylistic integrity.Custom design should not necessarilyinvolve the obsequiousness that we

fashion lovers have detected in certainHaute Couture shows. The confirmationof this form of behaviour, as pragmaticas it is ignoble, which actually justifiestackiness as a need to cater to the clien-tele, is humorously explained byColeridge:

There is a game that can be playedduring Ungaros fashion shows. TheBritish press, less reverent towardsUngaro than that of other countries, of-

ten does it. The goal is to guess, eachtime a model appears on the catwalk,which sector of his public the design isaimed at. The giveaways are the buttonsand the vibrancy of the colours. Pearlnetting on the body elicits murmurs ofBahrain or Riyadh, while a print inlime green and pink indicates ForthWorth or Des Moines10.

This is inevitable when the majority

of Haute Couture clients are from theUnited States or are the wives of Arabsheiks. Each season, Jean Louis Scherrerproduces around 300 pieces: 50 % ofthem are sold to the Middle East and40 % go to American women.11

Haute Couture is prejudicialto art

Haute Couture is dying, although its de-mise is far from languid. It is dying likearistocratic society died before theFrench Revolution, by turning each ofits exhibitions into a carnival. And I askmyself, what feelings should this twi-light inspire in me, as a fashion trouba-dour? Should we miss it? Who does itbenefit? And above all, does it benefitart and the clothing profession? Here is

my assessment. Couture does no harmto anyone, but Haute Couture (in uppercase) the official Paris-based industry,the popular standard of true HauteCouture, is prejudicial to the art of out-ward appearance and its profession. Letus review a list of its crimes.

a. Frauds. Poiret launched the per-fume Rosine and linked fashion andperfumes. Designers falsely and tacitly

take credit for the creation of perfumes,cosmetics and other products theyknow nothing about a lie that must

catch up with them eventually. The artof dressing is being sullied becausebrand names are being prostituted. As aman at the service of clothing design,my reaction is indignant: what do

colognes have to do with us?b. Chauvinism. For France, HauteCouture represents the most glamorousfacet of its identity. Sydney Toledano,president of Christian Dior Couture,gives this reason:

If Haute Couture were to cease, we would lose the advantage over ourAmerican and Italian competitors.12 Ineffect, couture exists in other countries,but they lack the prestige conceded by

this kind of historical legitimacy. TheFdration Franaise de la Couture wascreated in 1973, and I quote, for thepurpose of supporting Paris in its role asthe international capital of creation.13

However, this obstinate insistence onmaking us believe that Paris is the in-ternational capital of creation, which isunderstandable in terms of national pol-itics, implicitly undervalues creators of

other nationalities. The young designersinvited to participate in Haute Couture Week are undoubtedly flattered, a bitlike an actor arriving in Hollywood, butthey seem to be treated as second-classcitizens rather than true colleagues, which is why I previously referred tothem as supporting artists. The arrange-ment benefits both parties the unionmembers because they can organise ashow with numerous designers, whichis attractive to the media, and the youngdesigners because of the publicity theyreceive but the hierarchy is main-tained. Why do you suppose Valentinoand Armani have never repeated the ex-perience? They were already consolidat-ed as designers, and the Paris catwalkcould not offer them any benefits. Or isMilan somehow inferior to Paris? Didthey feel used? Why should an Italian

support the Paris label? And naturally,this is much more important to Francethan theHaute Couture label.

c. Obsolescence. The designersBatrice Ferrant and Mario Lefranc, whowere invited to the 2007 shows, believethat Haute Couture is an obsolete insti-tution because it makes no sense tohand-sew stitches that are not evenseen.14Although I am not an expert on

prt--porter, I understand that ma-chines cannot completely replace man-ual creations. What these designers are

14

10 COLERIDGE, N., op cit., p. 242.

11 As quoted by Corinne Jeammet.

See endnote 1.

12 See endnote 1.

13The federations functions are described

in detail on the website of Mode Paris:

.

14 See endnote 1.


8/14

No puede ser de otro modo cuando lamayora de las clientas de la Alta Costuraproceden de los Estados Unidos o son es-posas de jeques rabes. Jean LouisScherrer produce cada temporada alrede-

dor de 300 piezas: el 50 % las vende aOriente Prximo y el 40 % a mujeres es-tadounidenses11.

La Alta Costuraes perjudicial para el arte

La Haute Coutureagoniza, aunque nolnguidamente. Agoniza como lo haca lasociedad aristocrtica antes de la Re-

volucin Francesa: convirtiendo cadauna de sus exhibiciones en un carnaval... Y este ocaso, me pregunto, qu senti-mientos debe suscitar en m, trovador dela moda? Hemos de echarla de menos?A quin beneficia? Y sobre todo, bene-ficia al arte y al oficio de la ropa? He aqumi valoracin. La costura no perjudica anadie, pero la Alta Costura, con mays-culas, la sindicada en Pars, la oficial, la

referencia popular de la verdadera AltaCostura, s perjudica al arte de la aparien-cia y su profesin. Veamos la enumera-cin de sus delitos.

a. Estafas. Poiret lanz el perfumeRosiney relacion moda y perfumes. Losdiseadores se atribuyen falsa y tcitamen-te la creacin de perfumes, cosmticos yotros productos que desconocen; unamentira que tiene que acabar pasando fac-tura. Se est ensuciando el arte del vesti-do al prostituir los nombres comerciales.Yo, como hombre al servicio del traje, loexpreso indignado: qu tendrn que verlas colonias con nosotros?

b. Chovinismo. Para Francia la AltaCostura recoge el componente ms glamu-roso de su identidad. Sydney Toledano,presidente de Christian Dior Couture,aporta esta razn:

Si se detiene la Alta Costura, perdemos

nuestro valor aadido frente a nuestroscompetidores americanos e italianos12.Efectivamente, hay costura en otros pa-ses, pero ellos carecen del prestigio queproporciona esa suerte de legitimidad his-trica. La Federacin Francesa de laCostura se cre en 1973, cito li teralmen-te, con el objeto de apoyar a Pars en surol de capital internacional de la crea-cin13.

Sin embargo, esta obstinacin por ha-cernos creer que Pars es la capital inter-nacional de la creacin, comprensible en

trminos de poltica nacional, implcita-mente minusvalora a los creadores deotras nacionalidades. Sin duda, los jve-nes diseadores invitados a desfilar en laSemana de la Alta Costura se sienten ha-

lagados, un poco como el actor que lle-ga a Hollywood, pero no parece que seantratados como autnticos colegas sinocomo comprimarios; de ah que antes loshaya calificado de teloneros. El beneficiose reparte los sindicados porque puedenmontar un espectculo con numerosos di-seadores, atractivo para los media, y losjvenes por la publicidad que ganan,pero la jerarqua se mantiene. Por qu,si no, Valentino y Armani nunca han re-

petido la experiencia? Ya estaban consa-grados como diseadores y la pasarela dePars no poda aportarles nada. O es queMiln es menos que Pars? Se sintieron uti-lizados? Por qu habra de apoyar un ita-liano el marchamoPars? Y, desde luego,ste es mucho ms importante paraFrancia que el marchamoHaute Couture.

c. Obsolescencia. Los estilistas BatriceFerrant y Mario Lefranc, invitados a los des-

files de 2007, consideran que la AltaCostura es una institucin obsoleta porqueno tiene sentido coser a mano unas pun-tadas que no se ven14. Aunque yo no soyun especialista de la confeccin industrial,comprendo que las mquinas no puedenremplazar completamente a la fabricacinmanual. Lo que realmente critican estos di-seadores es la norma que exige a las em-presas de Alta Costura coser a mano in-cluso aquello que las mquinas ya puedenhacer a las mil maravillas. Ciertamente, notiene sentido.

Por qu se hace entonces? Para quelos humanos no olvidemos el oficio de co-ser? No puede ser la razn: ya hemos di-cho que todo no pueden hacerlo las m-quinas y por consiguiente no hay quetemer el olvido de estos oficios No serque a las millonarias les gusta saber quesu traje lo han cosido a mano?; quiero de-

cir como narcisismo, como vanidad o lujontimo. Pero esto convierte a la plantillade la Alta Costura en una extensin delservicio domstico de las clientas. Qupapel le corresponde entonces a la AltaCostura? El de agasajar los sentimientosmezquinos del pblico?

Cuidado porque sta es la razn msesgrimida por la Alta Costura para legiti-marse: la pervivencia delsavoir-fairefran-

cs, en palabras de Sydney Toledano, SinElla se perdera un artesanado muy espe-cializado que comprende peluqueros,

15

11 Segn Corinne Jeammet. Vase nota 1.

12 Vase nota 1.

13 Las funciones de la Federacin son

desgranadas en la pgina web de Mode Paris:

.

14Vase nota 1.


9/14

really criticising is the rule that requiresHaute Couture companies to hand-seweven the stitches that machines can nowexecute with wonderful precision. Itcertainly doesnt make any sense.

Then why is it done? So that humanbeings will not forget the occupation ofsewing? This cant be the reason: wehave already stated that machines can-not do everything, and consequentlythere is no reason to fear that theseskills will be forgotten. Isnt it really be-cause millionaire women like to knowthat their dresses were sewn by hand like a form of narcissism, vanity or per-sonal luxury? But this would mean that

Haute Couture workers are merely anextension of their clients domestic staff.Then what is the mission of HauteCouture to fte the small-minded sen-timents of the public?

We must be cautious, because this isthe reason that Haute Couture uses mostfrequently to justify its existence thesurvival of French savoir-faire. In thewords of Sydney Toledano, Without it,

we would lose a highly specialised classof craftsmen that includes hairdressers,feather arrangers, embroiderers, lace-makers, gold and silversmiths, milliners,etc.15 What chauvinism, this identifica-tion of Haute Couture as the only possi-ble couture! Could the demise of theParisian Chambre truly affect an embroi-derer in Madrid or a milliner in London?

d. Stylistic insignificance. At present,Haute Couture does not create avant-garde designs (it doesnt generate stylesthat are imitated or set fashion trends)or prototypes of elegance, but ratherclothing entertainment. I do not knowanyone who loves design and can utter words of sincere praise for the HauteCouture creations of the past twenty-five years. Today Kawakubo, Miyake,Prada or Demeleumester are more ad-mired, and none of them create Haute

Couture. Saving a few logical excep-tions, recent Parisian couture has limit-ed itself to repeating what has alreadybeen done in previous decades orjoined the trend of post-modern histori-cism (Gaultier, Galliano, Lacroix) thatconverts fashion to costume, underscor-ing its triviality and crassness. Everyonce in a while, I am also amused bythe shows of these designers who open-

ly mock fashion, for it is not healthy totake it too seriously. But are you nottired of watching the arch-awarded ge-

niuses of Haute Couture make fun offashion around the clock?

Gallianos Haute Couture, perhaps inan attempt to look young (an attributethat, translated to popular language,

means colourful and eclectic, like theclothing used by teenagers), reveals it-self as flamboyantly eclectic andbaroque, but it is not virtuous like an ar-chitectural design by Borromini nor her-metic and ingenious like a poem byGngora. Are historicist architects ad-mired today? No. Then why are histori-cist fashion designers revered? How canone admire Galliano and Balenciaga atthe same time? To put it another way,

Haute Couture and high culture nolonger go hand in hand as they did inthe fifties and sixties. And to top it all,Haute Couture doesnt even create fash-ion anymore. Bernard Girard confirmsmy opinion in the following quote:

The designers of prt--porter, thepeople who design the clothing sold byNike, Gap or Zara, are the ones whocreate fashion, not Christian Lacroix or

Lagerfeld. The best proof of this can befound in the fact that these designersadmit to seeking inspiration on thestreets. But that is not where Chanelfound her tailleur nor where Saint-Laurent found his Le Smoking tuxedofor women.16

Beneficiaries of Haute Couture

The French economy is the primary ben-eficiary of the publicity generated byHaute Couture, the fuel that drives animmense luxury industry that rangesfrom cosmetics to champagne. However, we will first identify the benefits thatHaute Couture offers its clients.

a. The female clients: exclusivity, qua-lity and investment. If exclusivity is anadvantage or desirable asset, we will in-

clude it in this group. A luxury dress dig-nifies the wearer. A king is also a kingbecause he dresses like one. When menmarry young girls, they buy them HauteCouture to make them look like ladies,said Hebe Dorsey of Christian Dior.17

The designer Christian Lacroix explainsthat, in a globalised world, there are women who seek out Haute Couturedresses as a symbol of individuality.18 In

addition, Haute Couture creations arecustom-made in every sense of theword. The outfit is crafted according to

16

15 See endnote 1.

16 See endnote 2.

17 COLERIDGE, op. cit., p. 220.

18 See endnote 1.


10/14

plumeros, bordadores, encajeros, orfebres,sombrereros, etc.15 Qu chovinismo enesta identificacin de la Haute Couturecon la nica costura posible! Puedeafectar el cierre de la Cmara parisina a

una bordadora madrilea o a una sombre-rera londinense?d. Intrascendencia estilstica. En la

actualidad la Alta Costura no hace dise-o de vanguardia (no genera imitacin in-dumentaria, no hace moda) ni prototiposde elegancia, sino espectculo vestimen-tario. No conozco a nadie que ame el di-seo y encuentre palabras de sincero elo-gio para las creaciones de la Alta Costurade los ltimos veinticinco aos. Hoy ob-

tienen ms admiracin Kawakubo,Miyake, Prada o Demeleumester, y ningu-no de ellos hace Alta Costura. Salvandoexcepciones lgicas, la ltima costura pa-risina se ha limitado a repetir lo que yase haba hecho en dcadas anteriores, o seha apuntado al historicismo postmoder-no (Gaultier, Galliano, Lacroix), que con-vierte a la moda en disfraz, subrayandosu trivialidad y su necedad. De vez en

cuando tambin a m me divierten los des-files de estos diseadores que se mofanabiertamente del vestir, que tampoco esbueno tomrselo demasiado en serio. Perono les agota a ustedes que los archi-pre-miados genios de la Alta Costura se ca-chondeen de la moda las veinticuatro ho-ras del da?

La Alta Costura de Galliano, quizs tra-tando de resultar joven (atributo quetraducido a lenguaje popular significa co-lorida y eclctica, como la ropa de los ado-lescentes), se muestra aparatosamenteeclctica y barroca; pero no virtuosa comouna arquitectura de Borromini, ni herm-tica e ingeniosa como un poema deGngora. Son admirados hoy en da losarquitectos historicistas? No. Por qu seadmira entonces a un diseador de modaque lo sea? Cmo se puede admirar almismo tiempo a Galliano y a Balenciaga?

Dicho de otro modo, la Alta Costura y laAlta Cultura no van ya de la mano comolo hacan en los aos 50 y 60. Y, para col-mo, la Alta Costura ya ni siquiera creamoda. Bernard Girard me da la razn enesta cita:

Los diseadores de la confeccin, lagente que disea la ropa que vende Nike,Gap o Zara, son los que hacen la moda,no Christian Lacroix o Lagerfeld. La me-

jor prueba la tenemos en que esos dise-adores explican que buscan su inspira-cin en la calle. Pero no es all donde

Chanel encontr su tailleur ni Saint-Laurent su esmoquin femenino16.

Beneficiarios de la Alta Costura

La economa francesa es la gran benefi-ciaria del aporte publicitario de la AltaCostura, sustento de toda una industria dellujo que abarca desde los cosmticos has-ta el champn. Sin embargo, distinguire-mos primero los beneficios que la AltaCostura ofrece a sus clientes.

a. Las clientas: exclusividad, calidad einversin. Si la exclusividad es una ven-taja o un bien deseable, la colocaremos

en este grupo. Los vestidos lujosos digni-fican a su portador. Un rey es un rey tam-bin porque viste como un rey. Los hom-bres cuando se casan con jovencitas lescompran Alta Costura para que parezcandamas, dice Hebe Dorsey de ChristianDior17. El diseador Christian Lacroix ex-plica que en un mundo globalizado haymujeres que buscan los vestidos de AltaCostura como un signo de individuali-

dad18

. Adems, los trajes de la AltaCostura son trajes a medida y lo son entodos los sentidos. El traje se elabora concriterios anatmicos ajustados al cuerpode la clienta, pero tambin ajustados a suscriterios estticos. Prcticamente todos losmodelos son rediseados por y para laclienta. Smese a esto su valor de cam-bio. Cualquier millonaria puede justificar-se la compra de Alta Costura como colec-cionismo artstico y, adems, ya sonnumerosos los pases que admiten lostrueques de impuestos por vestidos.

b. Las casas: consagracin?El marcha-moHaute Couturedeifica a la marca y laconsagra gracias a su portentoso aparatopublicitario... No debe de ser para tan-to cuando, como antes explicbamos, na-die solicita el marchamo aunque con lanueva normativa lo den regalado. El es-tilista Gustavo Lins subraya la visibilidad

que le ha remunerado su participacin enlos desfiles de enero de 2007: En los seismeses siguientes, nuestras ventas han au-mentado un 70 %19. No nos dejemos en-gaar; un 70 % cuando se parte de cerono es mucho; es, simplemente, empezar.El presidente de la Federacin, el ya ci-tado Didier Grumbach, afirmaba en 2004:Ralph Rucci no era nadie ni siquiera ensu pas hasta que fue invitado por la

Cmara a desfilar en Pars con una colec-cin de costura [...] La Alta Costura poseeel poder de institucionalizar una marca y

17

15 Vase nota 1.

16 Vase nota 2.

17 COLERIDGE, ob. cit., p. 220.

18 Vase nota 1.

19 Vase nota 1.


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anatomical criteria to perfectly suit theclients body, but it is also designed tosuit their aesthetic criteria. Practicallyevery model is redesigned by and forthe client. Add to this its trading value.

Any millionairess can justify the pur-chase of Haute Couture as an artistic col-lectors item; moreover, numerous coun-tries now accept designer dresses in lieuof certain taxes.

b. The houses: consecration? TheHaute Couture label deifies the brandname and consecrates it thanks to itspowerful publicity mechanisms. It mustnot be all that important when, as ex-plained earlier, no one requests the la-

bel even after the new regulations havemade it easier to obtain. The designerGustavo Lins underscores the visibilitythat his participation in the January 2007shows afforded him: In the six follow-ing months, our sales increased by70 %.19 Lets not be fooled: a 70 % in-crease starting from zero isnt that big adeal, it is merely getting a start. Thepresident of the federation, the afore-

mentioned Didier Grumbach, stated in2004: Ralph Rucci was a nobody, evenin his own country, until the Chambreinvited him to bring a couture collectionto the Paris catwalk [] Haute Couturehas the ability to turn a brand name intoan institution and make it immortal20.Does he really believe that? And who isthis Rucci guy he calls immortal? Doesanyone know him?

The transfiguration of hautecouture: the super-beneficiaries

Today the Haute Couturehouses haveno other commercial basis than that ofserving as sustenance for the publicityof their trademark licenses. To put itmore clearly: Haute Couture housescontinue to hold fashion shows so that

their legendary names will not lose thetrading value that history has providedthem. To sell perfumes at Christmas andon airplanes, and to keep people be-lieving that the cologne is good, glam-orous and distinguished because thebox says Yves Saint-Laurent, the sewingmust go on; the mystique of the namecomes from the mystique of the originalcreator of the couture house. Pierre

Cardin has been the paradigmatic housein this sense: it has managed to sell 800licenses with the PC logo, and items

from yachts to lighters are now market-ed under this brand name.21

The protagonists of Haute Couture donot hide this fact. Pierre Berg, the busi-ness brains of Yves Saint-Laurent, says

that Haute Couture is part of our adver-tising budget.22 Franoise Montenay ofChanel avers that Haute Couture is animage for the trademark.23 (And Chanelis one of the rare houses that reportsprofits from its couture production.)Donald Potard of Gaultier insists, Wemust not be hypocrites; Haute Couture isuseful to us for selling colognes and allthe rest.24 But the supreme and insur-mountable reason why this is so is once

again provided by the federations presi-dent, Didier Grumbach: A HauteCouture collection costs infinitely lessthan an international advertising cam-paign, and the media coverage it affordsis incomparable.25 Therefore, it shouldnot surprise anyone that Dior and Chanelhold fashion shows that cost betweenone and four million euros to organise26

they know they will be seen around

the world, saving them from having topay for television advertisements. Jean-Pierre Debu, the general director ofChristian Lacroix, considers HauteCouture a formidable marketing tool27.

In short, Haute Couture is the figure-head for the publicity machine of the in-dustry that answers to the name of theluxury market. According to MerrylLynch, this market is shared by theUnited States (25 %), Japan (20 %) andFrance (10 %). Germany, Italy, theUnited Kingdom, Hong Kong and theMiddle East account for 4 %. The mostimportant luxury goods groups are thefollowing:

LVMH (Louis Vuitton Mot Henessy),directed by Bernard Arnault and head-quartered in France. In addition to thechampagne brands Mot and VeuveClicquot, the watch brands TAG Heuer

and Chaumet and the Paris departmentstores Le Bon March and La Samaritaine,this group includes the following fashionlabels: Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Cline,Kenzo, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, DonnaKaran, Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Thomas Pinkand Berluti. Christian Dior is an affiliateof this financial giant.

Richemont, a Swiss group specialisedin jewellery and watches. It also owns

Chloe, Old England and Shanghai Tang.PFR, a French group directed byFranois-Henri Pinault. It owns Gucci,

18

19 See endnote 1.

20 See endnote 1.

21 Didier Grumbach asserts that, since the

1990s, Haute Couture companies tend to buy

back their licenses for their own exploitation

(see endnote 1).

22 COLERIDGE, op. cit., p. 213.

23 Karl Lagerfeld, a designer for Chanel, defends

the houses couture because they have a real

client base. They even had to open a new

workshop in 2003. The Haute Couture division

of Chanel employs 120 people at its work-

shops, and another 50 for its fashion shows.

24 See endnote 1.

25 See endnote 1.

26 GRANDAHAM, Sabine y MARCELIN, Caroline,

La Haute Couture en fin de dfil. Courrier

International, 2005. Available online: .

27 See endnote 1.


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de volverla inmortal20. Lo cree realmen-te? Pero quin es ese Rucci al que llamainmortal? Alguien lo conoce?

Transfiguracin de la AltaCostura: los super-beneficiarios

Hoy en da las casasHaute Couturecare-cen de otro fundamento empresarial queel de sustentar la publicidad de sus licen-cias de marca. Ms claro: las casas de AltaCostura siguen montando desfiles para quesus legendarios nombres no pierdan el va-lor de cambio que la historia les ha pro-porcionado. Para vender perfumes en

Navidad y en los aviones, y que la gentesiga creyendo que la colonia es buena, gla-murosa y distinguida porque el cartn rezaYves Saint-Laurent, hay que seguir co-siendo; la mstica del nombre procede dela mstica del creador original de la casade costura. Pierre Cardin ha sido lacasa paradigmtica en este sentido: llega vender 800 licencias con el logo PC; sefabricaban desde yates hasta mecheros21.

Los protagonistas de la Alta Costura noocultan este hecho. Pierre Berg, cerebrocomercial de Yves Saint-Laurent, dicede la Alta Costura que forma parte denuestro presupuesto publicitario22.Franoise Montenay, de Chanel, aseveraque la Alta Costura es una imagen parala marca23. (Y eso que Chanel es una delas raras casas que reporta beneficios porsu produccin de costura.) Donald Potard,de Gaultier, insiste: No hay que ser hi-pcritas, la Alta Costura nos sirve paravender colonias y lo dems24. Pero la ra-zn absoluta e insuperable de que esto esas la da de nuevo el presidente de laFederacin, Didier Grumbach: Una co-leccin de Alta Costura cuesta infinitamen-te menos que una campaa de publicidadinternacional, y su repercusin mediticaes incomparable25. Nadie se extrae en-tonces de que Dior y Chanel monten des-

files cuya organizacin cuesta entre unoy cuatro millones de euros26: saben quese vern en todo el mundo y as se aho-rran pagar anuncios televisivos. Jean-PierreDebu, director general de ChristianLacroix considera a la Alta Costura un for-midable instrumento de marketing27.

En suma, la Alta Costura es la cabece-ra del aparato publicitario de esa indus-tria que atiende al nombre de mercado

del lujo. Segn Merryl Lynch, ste se re-parte entre Estados Unidos (25 %), Japn(20 %) y Francia (10 %). Alemania, Italia,

Reino Unido, Hong Kong y Medio Orientesuman un 4 %. Los grupos del lujo msimportantes son los siguientes:

LVMH (Louis Vuitton Mot Henessy), di-rigido por Bernard Arnault y domiciliado

en Francia. Adems de las marcas dechampn Mot y Veuve Clicquot, los re-lojes TAG Heuer y Chaumet y los grandesalmacenes de Pars Le Bon March y LaSamaritaine, renen las siguientes firmasde moda: Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Cline,Kenzo, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Donna Karan,Marc Jacobs, Loewe, Thomas Pink, Berluti.Christian Dior es filial de este coloso finan-ciero.

Richemont, grupo suizo especializado

en joyas y relojes. Posee tambin Chloe,Old England y Shangai Tang.

PFR, grupo francs dirigido porFranois-Henri Pinault. Le pertenecenGucci, Yves Saint-Laurent, Balenciaga,Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen yStella McCartney; asimismo la joyeraBoucheron, los almacenes Printemps y laFnac.

Chanel constituye la excepcin que

confirma la regla. No cotiza en bolsa ydesde 1924 pertenece a la familiaWertheimer. Christian Lacroix y EmmanuelUngaro fueron compradas por los gruposnorteamericanos Falic y AIMZ, respecti-vamente.

Por qu se ha transfiguradola Alta Costura

Visto que muerta no est, sino transfigu-rada, habr que preguntarse cmo ha lle-gado la Alta Costura a desempear un roltan bajo.

a. Diversidad del gasto ldico. Cada vezgastamos menos en ropa, porque hay msen qu gastar. Bernard Girard explica quecada vez gastamos una proporcin menorde nuestro sueldo en ropa porque la ofer-ta de lujo y ocio se ha multiplicado hasta

el infinito: Por el precio de un vestido deAlta Costura, una mujer puede costearseun fin de semana en Nueva York yendoen Concorde y vestida elegantemente deArmani28.

b. El engorro de las pruebas. S, las prue-bas: tiempo, paciencia y ms dinero. Unvestido de noche precisa hasta diecisispruebas y tendrs que ir a Pars a que telas hagan, salvo que seas una clienta ver-

daderamente descomunal y les salgarentable enviarte una vendeusea tu pro-pia ciudad. Aade gastos de desplaza-

19

20

Vase nota 1.21 Didier Grumbach afirma que desde los aos

90 las empresas de Alta Costura tienden

a recomprar sus licencias para explotarlas

por s mismas (vase nota 1).

22 COLERIDGE, ob. cit., p. 213.

23 Karl Lagerfeld, diseador de Chanel, defiende

su costura porque posee una verdadera

clientela. Incluso tuvieron que abrir un nuevo

taller en 2003. La seccin Alta Costura de

Chanel emplea a 120 personas en sus

talleres, a las que se aaden 50 en los

desfiles.

24 Vase nota 1.

25 Vase nota 1.

26 GRANDAHAM, Sabine y MARCELIN, Caroline,

La Haute Couture en fin de dfil. Courrier

International, 2005. Disponible en Internet:

.

27 Vase nota 1.

28 Vase nota 2.


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Yves Saint-Laurent, Balenciaga, BottegaVeneta, Alexander McQueen and StellaMcCartney, as well as the jewellersBoucheron, the Printemps stores andthe Fnac chain.

Chanel is the exception that provesthe rule. It is not listed on the stock ex-change and has been owned by theWertheimer family since 1924. ChristianLacroix and Emmanuel Ungaro weretaken over by the North Americangroups Falic and AIMZ, respectively.

Why Haute Couture has beentransfigured

Having ascertained that it is not dead,but rather transfigured, we must askourselves how Haute Couture has cometo play such a minor role.

a. Diversity of recreational spending. We spend increasingly less money onclothing, because there are more thingsto spend it on. Bernard Girar explainsthat we spend an increasingly smaller

fraction of our income on clothes be-cause the supply of luxury and enter-tainment options has multiplied expo-nentially: For the price of a HauteCouture dress, a woman can pay for a weekend in New York, flying onConcord and elegantly dressed inArmani28.

b. The hassle of fittings. Yes, the fit-tings: time, patience and more money.An evening gown requires as many assixteen fittings, and you must go to Paristo do them, unless you are a truly ex-traordinary client and sending avendeuse to your native city is worththeir while. To this you must add traveland accommodation expenses. And youdeny yourself the pleasure of an instantpurchase!

c. Democratic culture. Though somemay think me nave, I firmly believe thisis true: women have stopped wearingHaute Couture because democracy hasbecome established, and a well-estab-

lished democracy tends to generate akind of repugnance towards all thingsaristocratic. In addition to being consid-ered vulgar, aristocratic signs, the trap-pings of ostentation, are perceived asthe presumption of an injustice. Youknow what I mean: we will alwayscome across homeless people in thestreet whose mere presence unsettlesostentation. The unveiled luxury oflarge cars, furs or feathers seems suspi-

cious in a society that encourages meri-tocracy. Mario Puzo began TheGodfather with a famous quote:Behind every great fortune there is acrime. And fashion history knows thatin the olden days even the wealthiestbourgeoisie could not wear anythingother than plain black garments com-bined with limpid, spotless white shirts,in order to protect their moral rectitude

with symbols of austerity. The Queen ofSpain dresses like a businesswoman toshow us that she works; even queensare expected to value moderation overostentation.

d. Youth culture. First the hippies,and later the punks and other urbantribes, developed their material cultureby specifically targeting and denouncingaristocratic trappings and replacing os-tentation with humble icons such astousled hairstyles and T-shirts. Youthculture has buried Haute Couture, be-cause it is hard for a young girl used towearing second-hand knits and thread-bare jeans to suddenly develop a tastefor Haute Couture when she reachesadulthood much less high-end fursand leathers, which were the first to fall.

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28See endnote 2.


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miento y hoteles. Y te privas del placerde la compra inmediata!

c. La cultura democrtica. Creo firme-mente lo siguiente, aunque me tachen deingenuo: la mujer ha dejado de vestir AltaCostura porque se ha consolidado la de-mocracia, y una democracia bien asumi-da tiende a generar una cierta repugnan-cia hacia lo aristocrtico. Los signosaristocrticos, los signos de ostentacin,adems de considerarse vulgares, se per-ciben como la presuncin de una injus-ticia. Ya saben: siempre vamos a encon-trar indigentes por la calle que con sumera presencia incomoden a la ostenta-cin. El lujo descarnado de los grandes

coches, las pieles o las plumas resulta sos-pechoso en una sociedad que fomenta lameritocracia. Mario Puzo encabezabaElPadrino con una cita clebre: Detrs decada gran fortuna, siempre hay un cri-men. Y la Historia de la Moda sabe queantiguamente incluso los burgueses mspudientes no vestan otra cosa que aus-teras ropas negras combinadas con lm-pidas e inmaculadas camisas blancas, a fin

de proteger su solidez moral con smbo-los de austeridad. La Reina de Espaa vis-te como una ejecutiva para comunicarnosque trabaja; incluso a las reinas se les exi-ge comedimiento antes que ostentacin.

d. La cultura juvenil. Los hippies, des-pus lospunkies y el resto de tribus ur-banas, desarrollaron su cultura material de-nunciando con precisin los signosaristocrticos y sustituyendo la ostentacinpor iconos humildes como las greas y lascamisetas. La moda juvenil ha sepultadola Alta Costura porque es difcil que una

joven acostumbrada a vestir punto reci-clado y vaqueros rados llegue a asumir,cuando se vuelva adulta, la Alta Costura.No digamos ya la alta peletera, que hasido la primera en caer.

Bibliografa

Adems de las referencias consignadas enlas notas al final, merecen atencin los si-guientes artculos:

Brief History of the Haute Couture. [en l-nea].Fashion Era. Disponible en Internet:.

GEORGE, A.,Haute Couture is Dead, GetBeauty Tips, [en lnea] 2006. Disponibleen Internet: .

GRANDIO, S.,La alta costura cada vezse vende menos, [en lnea]. Telecinco, 2005.Disponible en Internet: .

MERCIER, A., Dfils: la Haute Couture

compte ses pertes, [en lnea]. Linternaute,2005. Disponible en Internet: .

MUNZ-LEDO, E.,El prt--porter, salva-vidas de la alta costura, [en lnea]. MilenioDiario, 2005. Disponible en Internet:.

OLIVEAU, D.,La alta costura salvada porel prt--porter, [en lnea]. LExpansion,2004. Disponible en Internet: .

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Documents

1.Obito_transfiguracion