What I admire about high-end fashion and haute-couture are the details. In the world of fashion, details are what separate haute couture, from ready-to-wear, and ready-to-wear, from mass market.
If you look closely at a high-end garment—I love dissecting the Valentinos and Oscar de la Rentas at Holts—you’ll notice the perfectly even stitches, the luxurious fabrics, the intricate embellishments, and beautifully finished seams. (I dare you to find a loose thread!)
What all these details embody, are qualities that at times seem extinct in our ‘Made in China’ culture of disposable clothing: dedication, passion, perseverance, time and an uncompromising pursuit of excellence.
Hubert de Givenchy once said: ‘Luxury is in each detail’, and it’s this attention to detail, that separated couturiers like Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent, Oscar de la Renta or Madelaine Vionnet from the rest. They set a standard that I’m thankful for—one that leaves no room for shortcuts, cut corners or mediocrity. Their attention to detail permeated every stage of a garment’s development process—from fabric sourcing and design, to construction and tailoring.
Thanks to their passion and love of details, they created more than nice clothes—they cultivated beauty, and raised the bar for generations of future designers.
Below are just a few ‘details’.
S.K.
