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Discover the 10 haute couture houses that have shaped the world of fashion with their luxurious and avant-garde designs.
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Chanel
Chanel is a high fashion house that was founded by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1910. As one of the haute couture houses, Chanel is a luxury brand that is known for its couture clothing, accessories, and perfume. The Chanel logo is a interlocking double-C.
Chanel’s clothing designs are renowned for their elegance and sophistication. The Chanel suit, consisting of a jacket and skirt or trousers, has become a fashion icon. Chanel’s use of jersey fabric in her clothing designs helped to popularize the use of this fabric in women’s clothing.
In addition to clothing, Chanel designs luxury handbags, beauty products, and fragrances. The Chanel 2.55 handbag, named for the date it was first introduced (February 1955), is one of the most iconic designer handbags. Chanel No. 5, introduced in 1921, is one of the world’s best-selling perfumes.
Dior
Dior is a French fashion house that was founded in 1946 by Christian Dior. The fashion house is currently owned by LVMH. Dior is one of the haute couture fashion houses that is based in Paris, France. The other haute couture fashion houses in Paris are Chanel, Givenchy, Valentino, and Saint Laurent.
Valentino
Injecting his ownRoman touch, Valentino’s fashion house creates hand-finished garments with luxurious fabrics. It was founded in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and is now run by Giancarlo Giammetti. After a successful career dressing the cream of international high society, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, in 2002 he sold the business to the Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali SpA group.Maria Grazia Duri is now the creative director for Valentino.
The company produces about eight thousand garments each season and exports its pieces to over sixty countries worldwide. There are boutiques in many of the major cities in those countries, including London, Milan, Paris, New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Los Angeles, Moscow, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Givenchy
Founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy, Givenchy is a French luxury fashion and cosmetics house. It sells its products through stores in major cities around the world, as well as online. Givenchy is perhaps best known for its haute couture clothing, which is designed and made-to-order for private clients. The house also produces ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, fragrances, and cosmetics. Givenchy has been a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, the organization that regulates the haute couture industry in France, since 1953.
Elie Saab
Elie Saab is a Lebanese fashion designer. He is best known for his eponymous fashion label that produces haute couture, ready-to-wear, and perfume. In May 2003, the brand launched its first fragrance, Le Parfum.
Saab began his career as a dressmaker at the age of eight. He designed his first collection in spring/summer 1988 and presented it the same year. In July 1989, he staged his first fashion show in Monaco. His collections launched him to international fame and red carpets appearances.
Some of Saab’s most notable designs include gowns worn by Halle Berry, Kim Kardashian, Ferragni, Rose Huntington-Whiteley, and Kendall Jenner. Berry’s purple Oscar gown in 2002 and Kim Kardashian’s wedding dress are perhaps two of his most famous designs to date.
Giorgio Armani
One of the most popular fashion designers in the world, Giorgio Armani is an Italian haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion designer. He designs men’s and women’s clothing, fragrances, makeup, and home interiors. Armani is also a film producer and has his own production company, Kaos.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and business executive, best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.
Lauren started in the fashion industry as a tie designer for Beau Brummell before moving on to work for other notable brands like Brooks Brothers and Vera Wang. He launched his own label in 1967 with a line of men’s ties, and eventually expanded into women’s clothing, fragrances, and home furnishings.
The Polo Ralph Lauren brand includes a wide range of clothing, from casual wear to formal wear, as well as a range of accessories, including shoes, belts, wallets, and watches. The brand also has its own line of fragrances and home furnishings.
Ralph Lauren has been honored with several prestigious awards throughout his career, including the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Fashion Council.
Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta was a Dominican-American fashion designer who became one of the leading couturiers in the world. He worked for Balmain, Lanvin, and Dior before launching his own eponymous fashion house in 1965. His signature style was elegance with a touch of playful exuberance, and he was known for his use of color and prints. Oscar de la Renta was also a successful costume designer, creating looks for films such as “The Age of Innocence” and “Pretty Woman.” He passed away in 2014, but his legacy continues through his namesake brand, which is now helmed by Designer Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang is a world-renowned fashion designer who is best known for her wedding gowns. She began her career working in the fashion industry in New York City. After working for several years as a fashion editor, she eventually opened her own bridal salon. Vera Wang has been designing wedding gowns for over 30 years and has become one of the most celebrated designers in the industry. In addition to her bridal wear, Vera Wang also designs ready-to-wear clothing, evening wear, shoes, and accessories.
Marc Jacobs
In 2013, Marc Jacobs left his post as creative director at Louis Vuitton to focus on his eponymous label. Marc Jacobs International is currently majority-owned by LVMH with Jacobs and Maeda each owning a minority stake. In 2001, the Marc Jacobs brand expanded to include a diffusion line, Marc by Marc Jacobs. In 2015, the label stopped using the secondary line and rebranded the collection simply as “Marc Jacobs.”
