Not all fashion designers can employ the term “haute couture” to describe what they do, just a select few. Or rather, a few selected by the gatekeepers of couture, a sort of trade union of high fashion known as the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Yesterday, this union announced that they’ve got a new guest member who will be staging a show as part of Couture week in July, and this guest is Vetements.
As yet, the brand, which was founded in 2014 by a collective of seven anonymous designers, have only staged ready-to-wear shows as part of Paris Fashion Week. Couture shows are an entirely different kettle of fish to ready-to-wear – instead of showcasing clothes that will be bought and sold by buyers, they showcase creations that demonstrate brand’s technical ability and their most outrageous ideas. Couture designers must abide by the Chambre’s stringent rules, such as having a Paris-based atelier with more than 20 staff.
While brands such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Maison Margiela are synonymous with the premise of haute couture, Vetements isn’t – instead it’s known for its deconstructionism, oversized silhouettes, pop culture appropriated logos and a streetwear sensibility. Whether they’ll be opting for a couture upgrade is to be seen – this could just be a way for Gvasalia and co to show their new collection off the normal fashion schedule but still in the presence of press, as they revealed plans to do earlier this year.
Vetements isn’t the only guest member though – futuristic designer Iris Van Herpen will also be staging a show as part of Couture week, along with J. Mendel, Yuima Nakazato and Francesco Scognamiglio.
