What Makes Haute Couture so Special? You would need to employ at least 20 people to work in your own studio, and you need to present your collection in Paris at both the Spring-Summer shows in January and Autumn-Winter shows in July. The collection needs to have at least 75 creations and three live models to wear them. Finally, you must present these collections at least 45 times a year to your clientele at your fashion house, or in special places made for this purpose. And then, of course, you have to be approved by the union. This is one of the ways Haute Couture retains its exclusivity and respect.
Get a Glimpse If you haven't been able to procure yourself a pass for any of the shows, never fear, the web is full of instant coverage. Elle.com, Fashion TV (FTV) (if you can't get it on your cable network), and Fashion Live are sure bets for most of the well-known designers. There is usually some great gossip on Elle, and FTV has a good archived list of complete shows from the past few years.
The Fashionista Fair If you're in Paris and want to get into the Haute Couture spirit, you could head out to where all of the fashionistas and their entourage of models and designers hang out between shows. Café Marly (attached to the Louvre next to the Pyramid) and Angélina (226, rue de Rivoli, Metro Tuilleries) are two fashionable salons du thé. For lunch or dinner, head to Terrence Conran's Alcazar (2, rue Mazarine, Metro Odéon) or the classic Brasserie Lipp (151, blvd St. Germain, Metro Odéon). If you hope to get near Naomi on the dancefloor, or Galiano at the bar, try your luck getting into the V.I.P. Room (dance club at 76, ave. Champs Elysées, take a taxi) or the Buddha Bar (8, rue Boissy-d'Anglas, Metro Concorde). Finally, if you don't spot any of your stars, you could always catch them on their way in or out of the Hotel Crillon (10, Place de la Concorde), the Hotel Raphaël (17, ave. Kléber, Metro Kléber), or the Ritz (15, Place Vendôme). The bars at these hotels are usually gorgeous and expensive, a plus even if you see no one at all. No matter where you go, this is the chance to wear those killer outfits that cost you a fortune but never leave your closet.
