Credit: Dior
With the latest round of Paris Haute Couture shows — which saw the debuts of Anderson and Blazy at the helm of Dior and Chanel respectively — the debate over what truly constitutes couture and what is instead defined as “simple” ready-to-wear has become more relevant than ever, accompanied by widespread criticism of the collections shown on the runway. But what does the term couture mean in 2026?
First of all, there are very precise rules to be respected, established by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, which all brands must comply with in order to legally use the term Haute Couture to define their collections. The first criterion is geographical: the brand must have an atelier in Paris, with at least 15 employees and 20 artisans. The maison must present two collections a year in the Ville Lumière, in January and July according to the official calendar; each collection must include a minimum of 25 looks.
Finally, the most important criterion: made-to-measure. The very core of the concept of couture lies in customization for the client, in order to create a garment or accessory that is intrinsically linked to the person who will wear it, within a philosophy of exclusivity that is not so much tied to price (which, needless to say, is a consequence of the process) but to the uniqueness of the object itself.
And it is here — rather than in the complexity of the techniques or the fact that everything is handmade — that the true soul of a couture garment resides. This is also what allows couture to remain contemporary, embracing the evolutions the industry must adopt in order to stay relevant (and, above all, not disappear). Thus, not only traditional craftsmanship, but also research into alternative materials, hybrid techniques, and specialized machinery capable of helping achieve extraordinary results.
