The word couture is used a lot it seems, mostly as a PR tool to make a designer seem “a bit of an art ponce”, sometimes even in a vein hope to attract fashionistas to your label. However I hate to break it to a lot of metaverse residents but,
It’s actually impossible to have a Haute Couture brand in SL.
I can see a few puzzled faces out there at this statement. The term itself in fact is protected by French law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. (Sofia Grey linked me to the wikipedia site when we got chatting about this topic)
There are so many flaws with people using this term for marketing for one a Haute Couture brand must design for clients and fit them all in house. (I think this rules a vast number of second life brands out, legal mumbo jumbo aside)
Secondly they should have a workshop in Paris, with more than 15 full time staff, again something id be surprised to here even if it was a sim called Paris :P
Thirdly each season a brand must produced 35 outfits and present them in a show to the French press. To date only 10 houses and three international house are considered couture.
The dry information bit over, my main issue with people using the term is that often its on clothes that frankly are nothing out of the ordinary and designers think the word will have people flocking to there clean anubas prim build.
Excuse my asshat face but i think you can see my piont, the RL image is from the Chanel FallHaute Couture Collection.
Im wearing a P.c Top from the amour dress, Form jeans, bettie page leg warmers (im in love with these atm) and tuxedo shoes from shiny things. (also not the dance troop Dandelion :P)
I honestly don’t think its for a designer to define there own work surely that’s for the consumers, if you want to be high fashion than wait for someone to praise you for it. If you want to jump on the Avant Garde bandwagon that seems to be moving about at the moment then by all means do just don’t say your producing couture and not be expected to be corrected in your use of langue.
Marni
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37 comments:
lol, Marni... <3
/me claps!!
That's debatable... part of the fun of SL is doing what is impossible. :)
Love you. Love your work :P
Thank you <3
but thats the thing there doing the mudan rose and calling it somthing else!
How exceptionally interesting! I do agree with every statement that you made regarding its overuse and its push to increase designers revenue.... I had no idea that this was what defined haute couture... lol! Now, how shall we categorize lines in sl that are a bit above the norm? A bit artsy and different... will we come up with our own name for this? Just food for thought.
And here, as many probably foresaw, is the backlash to this particular trend. *grins*
As I posted here on Mean Girls, the only problem I have is with people using this carelessly (after making the same observation). SL after all is all about your imagination, and adhering far too strictly to real-world conventions would make for a very dull SL, as well as a jaded SL viewpoint, indeed.
We do have, after a fashion, groups of "craftsmen" and "seamstresses" working under one fashion label. The more wildly imaginative or the jokesters would, at this point, suggest that someone come up with an equivalent to the French Chamber of Commerce's standards. Since this is impractical (much of what applies to RL isn't possible, of course) we have to make do with our own judgement as to whether a virtual garment would, if made in the real world, come close to couture standards. After all, that's not a real dress you're wearing, let alone a couture one. We could invent new words for our garments, but that's a lot of work, isn't it?
The term is indeed getting tired out (how many new shops have release notices on Fashcon with the word "couture" in them, and how many of the pictures enclosed look close to high fashion, let alone couture?) but blame the demand. For some reason the public was hungry for couture looks after the PC Fall Show, and I wasn't really surprised. Personally, I'm glad SL Fashion went through this phase, even if I'm tired of people labeling everything as couture. Generally, it still has a long way to go in matching real-world fashion, and evolution itself is a messy process, even if it produces jewels along the way. Have fun, even if it's a long way from being real. Just my two cents :)
Very informative. I never knew the details on the use of the word. Well done.
I think the best way for SL to develope art fashion, as such our own metaverse courture it to explore outside of clothes and more what can be done without the rules of gravity, stop making garments look like clothes.
Im not saying we should wear space mu mus but i think people need to think outside the prim cube.
i dont think this is specific to SL though, the term is missused allover the place. I think it kind of became more common in pop culture mainly becuase of ANTM, simple life ( i remember nicole richie wearing an abomination that said "DUDE WHERE's MY COUTURE" for like.. half the confessional scenes in the first season of the simple life). And tacky brands like JUICY COUTURE and stuff have sort of watered down the meaning. I think people labeling stuff couture in SL is a bit of a trend, but a reflection of something larger too.
Oh thank goodness! It's about time someone set that straight because nothing in SL looks even remotely close to RL Couture....I guess to satisfy the masses, the designers can call it "SL Couture".
I spent the whole time I was making my set teasing peope that what it really meant was silly hat ;) I actually knew this stuffus :D
Yes have seen some pretty mundaine stuff being called that myself and it made me go huh? :) SO I know where your coming from.
I rather thought my little set I released recently fit.. certainly isn't the norm for me :D
As for the nothing in SL looks like couture... have you SEEN everything? I Certainly haven't :D
Rose...I guess you din't understand what she meant on her blog..it's pretty much impossible for anyone in SL to call their stuff couture.
I read 96 blogs every morning (I counted and couldn't believe there are that many!!) which takes a little over an hour, then I jump online, and shop for the items I want, or check out the new stores. My friends know not to bother when I first come on..cause the girl is shopping for a few hours ;)
But, you're right I haven't seen every shop in SL (though it sure feels like it!)...and there just might be some tiny little unblogged, undiscovered shop somewhere on the grid...so, if someone actually knows of a store that has clothing that fits the "couture" regulations posted in todays blog...then post it, or blog it! cause I'd really love, love to see it!
Marni likes to lay down the law...:)) If its not her commandments about what to wear (and what not to wear) its her rules on what to name your products... :)) Im sorry, I couldn't resist that one! Yes, I think your right, the word is definitely overused.. but... this is a game... France and its chambers of commerce dont exist here... Lets just keep things in perspective a little. You say there are only 10 "real" haute couture houses ( and i dont doubt that is true) but a search on google on "couture" will return 33 million results... why should second life be any different to RL?
I think Second Life needs to come up with a word different from couture. Marni is absolutely right, and I am all against the degradation of the english language - if we can avoid it, lets.
So what do we call it?
slouture? secondouture? secondture?
secouture!
As usual, interesting blog post:)
I agree with you. Usually the Haute Couture named stores are using stolen textures from Daz anyway. I was working on a site pointing that out.
There are some talented people out there though.
Actually Rose Farina, part of the fun of SL is people rip off other peoples textures from games, other sites like the Daz/poser one and pretty much anything they can. I barely see a shred of originality in SL from clothing to prim objects. It's always something I've seen somewhere.
haha, laugh out loud funny - but let's remember that SL is also home to things like 'sex', 'smoking' and 'ballroom dancing' (in no particular order) and none of those things are actually expected to meet the standards of their real life counterparts.
I did pause for a moment the other day when I got a group notice that seemed to suggest that the definition of couture had been broadened to include items such as a 'sling shot bikini' and t-shirts. But hey I guess it's all couture to someone!
In any case if you want to take your couture a bit less seriously check out 'Kitsch*en*Couture' - don't we all need a crotch swan to feel like a fashionista? :)
Just because I don't agree per say doesn't meant that ...
A) I don't understand
or even
B) I don't see her point
:)
Dear Tenshi,
Couture is French.
hahaha.... good one Lowres
And "vielle" is a mispelling of "vile"
Ohh dear , As much as every thing you say is true, I rather think you have gone OTT yourself with this. Seconf Life is a Second life, Theres no Paris regulated fashion laws there. Secondlife gives the opportunity for people do do as they please, and do the impossible. I agree couture or even haute couture is over used. But i would never dream of telling someone what they can and cant do. this is a dead end subject, should not of been brought up.. its completely ridiculas to say people cant use it in Second life. *Yawn*
Worse write up i feel
Finally someone said what i've been thinking for the longest time !!
p.s. LowRes Althouse.. Alot of English was influenced by French :)
totally agree ... just call it pixel clothing. call it anything but late for lunch.
I made HOBO Couture for this exact reason... no one got it lol .... because people take there shit to seriously in here. Look be total into your self and designs etc.. thats cool. But don't call it Couture .. it just ain't.
Good post!
Dude, seriously... I'm not even here to stand up for myself, and you all know it. I guess that's why you thought you could get your pot shots in. Thanks though.
Truth... I don't know, I didn't think your Hobo Couture was funny, and I don't think it went over my head... it just seemed overdone and excessive.
@ Truth... I got it. Thought it was brilliant and absolutely hilarious. Closer to actually being in the spirit of haute couture than most brands calling themselves couture in SL.
LOL.... Wasn't aware this blog was about Tenshi?
Perfect I'm glad you saw it that way Tenshi .. that was the idea lol
I like hobo courture the idea of its great, not rele my style tho.
I think fashion that has a piont is the way forward we dont need MORE plain white T or plian prim skirts.
Tenshi Posts: "I guess that's why you thought you could get your pot shots in. Thanks though."
YOu can dish it out but you can't take it, eh Tenshi?
I find it hysterical that Tenshi thinks it's overused, and yet, she uses it more than almost anyone outside of the actual designers. Oh, but she used to be a designer. Maybe that's why. How'd that gg, anyway Tenshi?
O_o
Let's keep it constructive, anonymous, and to the topic.
Eyva, there's been another rash of idiotic anonymous comments going around... Fashion SOS was just complaining about the same thing. Oddly, SCD hasn't had any. O_o
people dont have the balls to post on SCD
Absolutely Mani :)This is something which was in my head since a long time. People don't seem to understand the meaning of couture here. Apparently every brand claiming itself to be big calls itself a "Haute Couture". However there are some designers who have done some really appreciable work in bringing couture to SL.
Cheers! Well said :)
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