Haute to trot A new book released this month chronicles Paris’ love affair with high fashion and in particular haute couture clothing. Here its co-author Anne Zazzo talks of the city, the birth of couture and the magnificent pieces she uncovered during her research for the tome Words: Anne Zazzo
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ince the seventeenth century, the European courtly system upheld this notion of France’s superiority in the fashion world. It is highly likely that other European capitals surrendered to this belief partly because they already found themselves under French influence in terms of art and literature. When it came to elegance, Paris had already
acquired international renown – the remarkable ‘savoir-faire’ of its craftsmen was widely recognised. Rose Bertin, Marie Antoinette’s dressmaker, later became an international celebrity. When CharlesFrederick Worth – having founded his fashion house in 1858 – became the official supplier to the courts of France and Sweden in 1864, he ensured his notoriety (he was referred to as the ‘father of haute couture’),
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reinforcing the generally-accepted notion of Paris as the city of fashion. The advantage of Paris at the time of couture’s birth – officially in 1870 – was its industrial power: the fashion houses themselves offer clients the decor of a luxury ‘salon’, but behind this lavish façade they rely on actual factories. Fashion houses delegate tasks to numerous Parisian ateliers which exploit cheap labour, enabling the hefty profit margins which