With the Fall 2017 Haute Couture season fully wound up, it does seeem that the number of collections shown at Paris Haute Couture week contracts year-by-year, resulting, this year, in a ‘week’ spanning just a few days and selective invites to some of those willing, and with ‘interesting’ ready-to-wear (RTW) collections, to join the party.
This makes me kinda sad as I love the sheer beauty of the craft in Haute Couture but it obviously is a consequence, commercially, of both the tiny demographic and market of those able, and prepared, to pay Haute prices for a one-off work of fashion art.
There are a number of fairly uninteresting, to me, Haute Couture collections that flatter only the global super-rich who are in the market for extravagant, ornate even ostentatious design and fabric of traditional design and style.
Then, there are the few collections who are more leading edge – in design, style, material, process or concept – pushing boundaries, some veering on the unwearable. These are the collections I love best but are they commercially viable?
Maybe the future of ‘edgy’ Haute Couture will be in the hands of art sponsors rather than business-people but might that make its’ art more moribund – to be further removed from real-life, real people and functionality?
I don’t know but I shall just enjoy the viewing of it for as long as I am able – Runway, exhibition, book or other media.
Admire the artistry and leave the more esoteric arguments about its’ future to others with more vested interests.
I do hope you enjoy – even share? – my guilty pleasure both here – in a final look at a variety of designers – and on the separate blogs previously posted for the Haute Couture Fall 2017 season.
Happy weekend ☀️
Image, top, from Schiaparelli Fall 2017 Haute Couture.
All images courtesy of The Fashion Spot.












Great looks! My favourite shows were Ralph & Russo and Elie Saab – the clothes were just stunning!