Haute Couture Houses
The Haute Couture Houses
The actual term 'haute couture' is protected by law and according to the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture, "only those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves thereof".
The criteria to which a fashion house must adhere in order to be categorised haute couture were laid down in 1945 and updated in 1992.
These rules are simple, to be designated as haute couture a minimum of fifteen people must be employed at the workshops and must present to the press in Paris each season (spring/summer and autumn/winter) a collection of at least thirty-five runs consisting of models for daytime wear and evening wear.
At the time of writing, members of the Syndicate Chamber of Parisian Couture are as follows:
Adeline Andre : Emanuel Ungaro: : Chanel: : Christian Dior : Frank Sorbier :
Givenchy : Christian Lacroix : Dominique Sirop :
Jean Louis Scherrer : Jean Paul Gaultier :
In January 2005, seven more couture houses were invited to show there collections:
Elie Saab: On Aura Tout VU : Laurent Mercier :
Ralph Rucci :Marc Le Bihan : Ste Phane Saunier : Maurizio Galante :
