History of Fashion

Fashion refers to the styles and customs prevalent at a given time. In its most common usage, "fashion" exemplifies the appearances of clothing, but the term encompasses more. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly than the culture as a whole. Fashion designers create and produce clothing articles.

A number of cities are recognized as global fashion centers and are recognized for their fashion weeks, where designers exhibit their new clothing collections to audiences. These cities are Paris, Milan, New York, and London. Other cities, mainly Los Angeles, Berlin, Tokyo, Rome, Miami, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Sydney, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Madrid, Melbourne, Mumbai, Vienna, Moscow, New Delhi and Dubai also hold fashion weeks and are better recognized every year.

Know About Haute Couture

The Term "Couture" is often used generically to refer to high fashion, but it has a very specific meaning in France. Within France, couture is a term used to refer to garments produced in high-end design firms which sew custom garments for their clients, using workshops and staff based in Paris. Outside of France, "Couture" is used to refer to any sort of extremely fashionable garment, whether or not the garment has been custom fitted.

The Tradition of Haute Couture dates back to the mid-1800s, and the reason couture can command such a high price is because of the long tradition of high fashion in France. Couture garments are designed to look absolutely stunning on clients, with fits customized to the client's body, way of movement, and personal style. The detailing on couture garments such as beading and embroidery is always done by hand, representing hours and sometimes months of labor.

With the rise of very high quality off-the-rack fashion, couture is not quite as popular among the wealthy set as it once was, but the tradition is likely to endure, especially among those who wish to look particularly unique or stunning at events like the Academy Awards, society weddings, and the Opening of Parliament.

However, the Term is also used loosely to describe all High-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as Milan, London, Rome, New York and Tokyo.