©Getty Images / David Paul Morris It is only relatively recent that jeans and shorts have become acceptable at formal events, and shirts were also considered a garment that, like underwear, should not be exposed. In this broader context, fashion has undergone a transformation towards greater convenience and everydayness. The concept of ‘formal attire’ is unlikely to disappear entirely in the future, as clothing has long been an important indicator of a person's profession, wealth, and social status. At the same time, however, it is undeniable that this standard of formality is gradually shifting in a more ‘casual’ direction. In this sense, it could be said that the fashion industry has been defining its own identity by challenging its own authority and conventions. ©Guilherme de Beauharnais It would be fair to say that, despite this nature of fashion, the symbol of haute couture - the pinnacle, cutting-edge technology, exquisite craftsmanship - remains an important aspect of the fashion industry today. This is because, although the market for haute couture is currently experiencing a decline in today, with a shift towards mass-produced ready-to-wear, it still represents an iconic and highly regarded place where houses strive to present timeless garments. But even in this sophisticated world, Demna, Balenciaga's ever-controversial creative director, deliberately shakes up the traditional authority of haute couture with his trademark; tromp-l’oeil and controversial designs. It is certainly not what fashion fanatics would have expected when they heard that the house of Cristóbal Balenciaga, dubbed ‘the true dressmaker’ and ‘the master of haute couture’, was returning to couture after nearly half a century since 1968. ©Balenciaga “Elevating the detritus of the everyday has long been a signature of Demna’s tenure (...) Many of the items in the online “Couture Store” call out the amount of labor involved in the manufacturing process. Is it an attempt at justifying high price points on mundane or even non-functioning pieces, (…)”1 Diet Prada's commentary above on Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2024 haute couture collection is representative of the industry's multifaceted response to Demna's approach. Indeed, ever since Balenciaga's return to couture in 2020, Demna has been exploring the injection of ‘subcultural elements’ into couture, an approach that is often at odds with the traditional image of haute couture. The collection featured evening gowns made from plastic bags, sweatshirts made from recycled fabrics, football jerseys and T-shirts painted in oils, all of which are not easily accepted in the haute couture arena. Given the symbolism of Balenciaga's couture name, even the legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga's ¾-length sleeves, cocoon silhouettes, and flamboyant hats, as well as the hundreds to thousands of hours of elaborate and experimental fabric development work from Demna’s couture collection, may not fully support his claim that “It(couture) is an expression of beauty on the highest aesthetic and qualitative levels,” which he stated at the time of Balenciaga's return to couture in 2020. “It(couture) not only offers another spectrum of possibilities in dressmaking, but also brings the modern vision of Balenciaga back to its sources of origin. Couture is above trends. It’s an expression of beauty on the highest aesthetic and qualitative levels.”2 ©Vogue / Irving Penn Perhaps that is why the criticism levelled at Demna and Balenciaga (even if they are accustomed to it) has some merit. The perception that their collections lacked respect for the tradition of haute couture, and even those who view them as a challenge to it, are all understandable. But at the same time, I would like to ask those who currently critique Demna's work whether Cristóbal Balenciaga's legacy is the innovative spirit that broke away from Dior's emphasis on women's waists at the time and opened up a new horizon of dressmaking - the ‘space between the body and the clothes’ - or the fashion design elements that inherited his style. Haute couture has traditionally been synonymous with the most extravagant and noblest of fashions. Simultaneously, it has also been a place of experimentation, a place to showcase things that no one has ever tried before. Today, however, both the authority and the role of the haute couture have been eroded as it faces an era of unprecedented fashion emerging from outside of the ‘Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture’. In other words, couture's reason for existence today may be little more than the commodification of ghosts, treading the fine line between the house's self-replication and the reproduction of its archives, or justifying the price tag on a dress for a day in the life of an unnamed rich. ©Juergen Teller We should re-centre the debate around Demna’s couture collection by focusing less on questions of ‘who would buy’ or ‘does it deserve to be called couture’. Instead, we should ask what the role of couture is today. The experimentation and embracement that couture has represented in the past is a vital factor in ensuring that the fashion’s concerns about sustainability do not simply lead to a self-critical and sceptical attitude that results in diminishing production and an acceptance of the industry’s uselessness. As fashion becomes more and more accessible to the everyday and the masses, one of its true values may lie in the fact that it has always been able to expose its own vulgarity and snobbery, constantly bringing its lofty realm into the ‘vulgarity of commerce’. Like couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga, who pioneered new areas of fashion design and challenged the design practices of his time, Demna's house may want to emphasise that haute couture does not remain an isolated luxury, but still functions as a platform to challenge current social norms and expectations. “Nobody really needs couture, to be honest,”3 Demna said. 1 Diet Prada's Instagram post, 2024. 7. 9. Available at here 2 Belle Hutton, "Balenciaga Is Returning to Haute Couture", AnOther, 2020. 1. 20. Available at here3 Vanessa Friedman, "The Incredible Disappearing Dress", The New York Times, 2024. 6. 27. Available at here BY MUYO PARKOCTOBER 7, 2024 >READ THE KOREAN VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE> READ OTHER ARTICLES