Luxury house Balenciaga is challenging the exclusivity of the haute couture sector with a Couture Store in Paris that will be open to everyone.
The store allows everyday consumers to come in, try on and purchase garments from the brand’s recent couture collections.
According to Cédric Charbit, CEO of Balenciaga, ‘The idea of couture as only for the elite is no longer valid’ (source: The New York Times).
Continue the conversation: Can public stores democratise access to couture or do they threaten to dilute exclusive experiences? Discuss with your team.
Image: The Balenciaga Couture Store, 10 Avenue George V, Paris
Image: Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen Speaker Bag
Every haute couture season, luxury house Jean-Paul Gaultier hands control to a different designer, allowing them to guest create a collection.
Now, couture collaborations are becoming more common. Balenciaga recently partnered with audio company Bang & Olufsen to release a speaker bag that can be used as a portable audio device or a functional handbag.
Continue the conversation: Ask your clients what other industries they would like haute couture companies to collaborate with.
While India is renowned for its craft and needlework traditions, the country has rarely received the attention it deserves from the fashion elite.
Earlier this year, Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri put a spotlight on the Indian artisans that help with couture collections by commissioning a 3,600-square-feet tapestry backdrop based on the work of two Indian artists, Madhvi and Manu Parekh.
Continue the conversation: As the haute couture market moves away from its Eurocentric roots, ask your clients how they would like the sector to engage with their culture.
Image: Hand-embroidered tapestries for the spring/summer 2022 Couture Dior presentation
