The Evolution of Couture, From the House of Worth to the Met Gala

It all begins with Fredrick Charles Worth, a British tailor working in a Parisian textile company in the mid-1800s. As he succeeded in his position, Worth was eventually given the opportunity to begin making dresses. With his incredible attention to detail and breathtaking unique designs, his dresses caught the eye of Empress Eugenie de Montijo of France, a trendsetter in the French royal court. Almost immediately, Empress Eugenie, along with a long list of European royals, began commissioning Worth as their dressmaker; shortly thereafter the House of Worth, the first couture house, was established.

Along with the founding of the House of Worth came the beginning of what we know to be the term “fashion designer.” Worth was the first dressmaker to use labels in his dresses and real models instead of mannequins to present his clothing. Although today these practices might seem pretty standard, they were actually quite revolutionary and strongly influenced the modern-day fashion industry.

In 1868, La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was founded in order to regulate the guidelines for what could be considered couture, as well as to monitor the copying of couture designs. The qualifications required that designs be made-to-order for the client, hand-made of the best materials and for each design to be unique—nothing could be copied for another client.

The main clients for couture were based in Europe, and given the high price of the clothing, were generally from high-status backgrounds.

Once the world of couture was established it was destined to thrive. By 1945, 100 labels were recognized by La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture as houses of couture, meeting additional qualifications regarding the house itself. For example, some of these qualifications require the houses to have a minimum of 20 full-time staff members based in Paris, that the designs are made for private clients with fittings, and that they must present a minimum of 25 designs per year.

By 1970, however, the amount of couture houses numbered only 19; with the rise of mass-production in fashion, it became harder for houses to adhere to the strict qualifications of a couture house.

As of 2022, there are only 14 fashion houses that are considered couture, such as Dior, Chanel, and Givenchy. Although a lot has changed in the fashion world since the establishment of the House of Worth and La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, the qualifications of a couture fashion house have in fact not changed. But despite old rules, designers like Daniel Roseberry of Schiaparelli and Pyer Moss' Kerby Jean-Raymond, who showed for the first time last season, are bringing a fresh point of view to couture.

Another distinguishing factor of couture is its presentation—couture houses are known for their exquisite runways and displays. The annual Met Gala and other red carpet events have also become a large spectacle for couture, as invited celebrities and other tastemakers don the world’s finest couture.

As the world of fashion evolves and the rate at which clothing is manufactured continues to increase, the ideas behind couture seem simultaneously more foreign, as well as more coveted.