FASHION EVENTS - SINGAPORE

By Eva Fydrych

Haute Couture Symposium

Photo courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

SINGAPORE - Haute Couture Symposium, which took place on Friday, 30 November 2012, was one of the highlights of French Couture Week 2012 Singapore.

Over 200 invited guests, including members of the regional and international media, lecturers, fashion students and bloggers, turned up for the highly-anticipated Symposium held at The Pavilion at Bayfront, at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

The event attracted a lot of interest and proved that fashion industry needs not only the visual attractions such as catwalk shows and fashion exhibitions, but also educational events and serious discussions about the future of fashion.

Click to enlarge

The subject of the discussion was "The Globalisation of Haute Couture" and the symposium panel included Mr Didier Grumbach, President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Ms Suzy Meknes, the formidable fashion critic of the International Herald Tribune, Dr Frank Cintamani, Chairman of Fide Fashion Weeks, Dr Satoshi Onuma, President of the Bunka Fashion College, Ms H�l�ne Le Blanc, Editor/Blogger of The Luxe Chronicles, Mr Daniel Boey, Creative Director of French Couture Week 2012 Singapore, and all fashion designers participating in French Couture Week.

Moderated by Ms Jessica Michault, Online Style Editor of International Herald Tribune, the engaging discussion included the future and direction of Haute Couture, the importance of Asia for Haute Couturiers as well as the raising profile of Asian Couturiers.

The event was a unique opportunity to get an insight into the glamorous world of Haute Couture and to get more familiar with the couturiers' approach to luxury fashion and design.

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

All photos courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks

Click to enlarge

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* Special thank you to Fide Multimedia for inviting Fashion Studio Magazine to this event.

About Couture & Haute Couture

Couture and Haute Couture both refer to high fashion designing created by designers and fine dressmaking executed with extreme attention to details and hand finished by skilled workers. The clothes are usually made from high quality fabric and material.

However, the difference is the term haute couture (literally high sewing) which is protected by law in France and is defined by the Paris Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris).

To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, a fashion house must: 

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings. 
• Have a workshop for made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings. 
• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time. 
• Each season (i.e. twice a year) present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear. 

Selected fashion houses then become members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture). Members are divided into "official" (French houses such as Chanel and Dior), "correspondent" (foreigners, most notably Armani and Valentino), "guest" (new talents), jewellery" and "accessories. 

The 2012 list of approved Haute Couture fashion houses consists of Adeline Andr; Anne Valrie Hash; Atelier Gustavolins; Chanel; Christian Dior; Christophe Josse; Franck Sorbier; Givenchy; Jean Paul Gaultier; Maurizio Galante; Stphane Rolland; Giambattista Valli.

Source: Fide Multimedia, B.Kanarek