Couture

• Couture and haute couture are not the same. While couture can be
used to describe any garment that’s handmade and one-of-a-kind,
haute couture is a special designation created by the French
government. To be considered a haute couture house, brands must own
an atelier in Paris with at least 15 full-time employees and present at
least 35 looks in a show, twice a year. Each year the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couture draws up a list of official couture
houses that meet those specifications.
• This list can and does change; Givenchy notably dropped off of the list
of haute couture in Spring 2013.