Allure Just Called Lauren Conrad a Basic Bitch

This month Allure provided a handy visual definition to the four types of girl a girl can be. They include: "Street Stylist" (Leandra Medine), "Bohemian Hippie" (Vanessa Hudgens), and Normcore (inexplicably embodied by Kristen Stewart). The fourth sad category is "Basic," which the magazine describes as: “Made famous by Kreayshawn and viral by YouTube, the Basic woman is remarkably unremarkable. What’s noteworthy about her style is its very plainness. Except to her. She swears those red-soled shoes are cutting-edge."

Via: Allure Just Called Lauren Conrad a Basic Bitch

The fashion reads well be taking on our summer holidays

#GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso
Founder of online fashion giant, Nasty Gal, Amoruso's inspiring tale is one of the most motivational books you'll read this year. Step inside the tale of how one business idea became a very successful sartorial reality.

In My Shoes: A Memoir, by Tamara Mellon
Jimmy Choo co-founder takes us through her struggles and successes in the world of fashion. A-promised-to-be juicy and inspiring read, especially for us footwear fanatics.

READ: Best fashion books of 2013

Man Repeller: Seeking Love. Finding Overalls, by Leandra Medine
One of our favourite fashion bloggers tells the story of how her fashion-forward wardrobe drove all potential romance away. A blunt, witty and fun read about a woman who dresses for women.

Diana Vreeland Memos: Correspondence from the Vogue Years, by Alexandra Vreeland and Polly Mellon
Lie on the beach whilst gaining access into the world of a legendary fashion editor through a collection of letters, memos and recollections from her colleague.

SEE: New fashion books for 2013

The World According to Karl: The Wit and Wisdom of Karl Lagerfeld, by Jean-Christophe Napias, Sandrine Gulbenkia and Charles Ameline
If you haven't already read it or you just want to read it again (like us), this is one of the funniest fashion books you'll find. Filled with Lagerfeld's quick and cutting comments, this is a must-read as we hotly await the release of Choupette's book this Autumn.

Scenes From a Fashionable World, by Kennedy Fraser
These essays reprinted from the New Yorker during the 1980s give a rare and accurate glimpse into how the world of fashion once was.

Vogue on series, by Irvine Susan, Drusilla Beyfus, Kathleen Baird-Murray and Linda Watson
The second instalment of the Vogue on designers series were released earlier this year, this time chronicling Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood. Although these are edging onto coffee table territory, we definitely don't think they're too bulky for the beach and are filled with all the need-to-know about some of the world's most extraordinary fashion designers.

Talking Fashion: From Nick Knight to Raf Simons in Their Own Words, by Jan Kedves
A series of interviews conducted by journalist Jen Kedves with influential figures of the fashion world, including, Bruce Weber, Victoria Beckham and Jeurgen Teller. Sounds juicy and we're keen to know the secrets.

READ: Choupette gets her own book

Grace: A Memoir, by Grace Coddington
Who wouldn't want to read about the life of flame-haired Vogue empress, Grace Coddington? Her stylish memoirs will no-doubt be a real page turner.

Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty, by Diane Keaton
The actress talks candidly about the ups and downs of living in a world obsessed with beauty. Discussing the outrageous shoes, the wide-brimmed hats and everything else that makes up her individual style, we can't wait to delve in to this controversial dresser's take on fashion and beauty.

Shocking Life, by Elsa Schiaparelli
A book that every fashion person must read at least once in their life and what better time to do it than while lying on the lounger. Jump into the world of Paris in the '30s through the vision of one of the world's best-loved designers.

Chic Savages, by John Fairchild
For another decade of fashion history, step into the 1980's with this tell-all tale about the magazine industry from the then editor of W and Women's Wear Daily, John Fairchild.

Via: The fashion reads well be taking on our summer holidays

13 Ways to Stay Cool in a Summer Vest

This week we saw bloggers around the world keeping cool in loose-fitting vests. There were a few modern takes on Annie Hall — like Jenn Su, who wore a lavender vest with leather shots and a fedora in Taipei — while others, like Silvia Sierra in Madrid, opted for wide trousers and a straw hat. Even heavier, darker fabrics like leather and tweed were lightly styled, while Olivia Palermo stayed fresh in ultrabright head-to-toe yellow. Click through our slideshow to see all these looks and more.

Via: 13 Ways to Stay Cool in a Summer Vest

Bella Thorne Shares Favorite Things in First Candie's Commercial: Go Behind the Scenes

Life just got a little sweeter for Bella Thorne!

As spokesperson for Candie's, the former Disney star, 16, wrapped her first commercial for the junior brand, sold exclusively at Kohl's.

"Shooting my first Candie's commercial was so cool and everyone was super fun to work with," Thorne said in a statement. "The theme is my favorite things, so we had cake, hot guys, puppies, pizza and all of my top picks from the Fall Candie's collection."

Bella Thorne films her first Candie's commercial, which will air during the Teen Choice awards on August 10.
Credit: Courtesy of Candie's

The ad will debut during the Teen Choice awards on August 10 and will highlight flash sale items available only during the following week. The "Call It Whatever" singer will also star in a print campaign with the theme, "Bella's Favorite Things," that debuts in September.

Via: Bella Thorne Shares Favorite Things in First Candie's Commercial: Go Behind the Scenes

Is boho back?

Of all the trends from the past decade, there's one that sticks out head and shoulders above the rest: Boho.

Arguably it was Sienna Miller that came to personify it around 2003/2004. Just 22 and thrust into the limelight as the girlfriend of Jude Law she brought with her a contemporary bohemian charm that, well, charmed the world. From coin belts to maxis, tatty peasant tops to floppy-brimmed hats, she had it all and carried it off with aplomb. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Miller found fame for her wardrobe long before her on-screen credits.

Boho pin-up Sienna Miller on the red carpet with Jude Law and at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004. Photos: PA/ Reuters

Her influence inevitably trickled down to the masses, and super stylist Rachel Zoe began building what became known as her 'Zoebots' - the clutch of Hollywood 'starlets' that she shaped into floaty maxi dress-wearing, beach blonde clones like Nicole Ritchie, Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohan.

Georgina Chapman and Natalie Joos have recently sported boho maxis. Photos: Rex/Elizabeth Khan-Greig

But, as with all trends, we eventually tired of it and moved on to the next craze. Even poster girl Miller went off it.

"It was a strange social experiment, to be responsible for all that," she said of her boho influence in 2008. "It made me self-conscious, which, inherently, I'm not. People would say, "I'm sick of boho", and now I stand up and say, "But I liked those clothes - it's not my fault that they were copied, you wore them and now you're sick of them."

Burberry's bohemian autumn/winter 2014 show. Photos: Isidore Montag

But fashion didn't resign it to the clothing bank in the sky, instead it bundled it into a bin liner, shoved it in the attic and stuck a post-it note saying "open in seven to eight years" on it.

Diligently we did - or rather, Hedi Slimane did when he started at Saint Laurent, sprinkling his debut spring/summer 2013 collection with brazenly luxe boho 70s style 'chapeaus' and other little hippyish details. Suddenly boho was back, but subtly - a little bit of fringing and ethnic embroidery here, a slouchy bag there.

Poppy Delevingne's boho-inspired Pucci wedding dress. Photo: Instagram

But this summer it seems finally to have bloomed again. Poppy Delevingne's second wedding dress was an all-out boho fest, designed by Pucci's Peter Dundas. Then, at the latest round at couture shows Lena Perminova took Burberry's autumn/winter 2014 collection - which celebrated the bohemian artists and writers of the 1920s - for a trial run, and casting agent Natalie Joos paired a blouson-sleeved floral mazi with wedges and a Chanel bag and suddenly we remembered why we ever liked the trend in the first place. Fickle bunch, aren't we?

But it has changed this time round. It's more polished and refined - the untidiness of the Sienna era is gone, replaced by sleek manes, clean hems and high-class accessories that keep it sleek. It's altogether a bit more grown up and a bit more optional; we need not go the whole hippie-hemmed hog this time, just dabble.

Via: Is boho back?

10 Hot Beauty: The 10 Best Treatments For Kissable Lips

Lip balms, lip creams, lip scrubs - you name it, we've tried it on our quest for the perfect pout. If your lips are feeling dry, chapped and altogether neglected you've come to the right place. Gone are the days of cracked lipstick once you've given these products a go...

Via: 10 Hot Beauty: The 10 Best Treatments For Kissable Lips

8 Affordable Outfits That Look Like Cline

Clean lines, unusual color combinations, and awkward-yet-cool silhouettes — that outfit totally has to be made up of Céline pieces, right? Not exactly. As the New York Times reported, Zéline and Zalenciaga (Zara's interpretations of Céline and Balenciaga) will have even the runway obsessives second-guessing your wardrobe.

Via: 8 Affordable Outfits That Look Like Cline

Kim Kardashians Favorite Tanner Is Surprisingly Subtle

As a beauty editor, my tan comes from a bottle, not from the sun. I cringe when friends say things like "base tan" or "I'll just use SPF 15." Earlier in the month, Hamptons spouse Kim Kardashian tweeted an ebullient thank you (in all-caps) to her tanner-with-a-spray-gun Fiona Locke, who uses Vita Liberata products. But, I wondered, could these products scream anything but "FAKE KARDASHIAN TAN!" on a non-Kardashian?

Via: Kim Kardashians Favorite Tanner Is Surprisingly Subtle

Lessons from the stylish: Bao Bao Wan, jewellery designer

As the granddaughter of Wan Li, the former Chairman of the National People's Congress of China, Bao Bao Wan is accustomed to luxury hotels. But even she underestimated the sumptuousness of the beds at the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge. She has requested to do our interview in the bedroom of the top-floor suite, away from the noise of hotel staff setting up tea, but she is so pixie-tiny that the bed threatens to swallow her up.

"After I stayed here I fell in love with the hotel," she says, grabbing a plump pillow both to anchor her sinking frame and to protect her modesty (a Balmain mini dress is no match for the king-size). "I'm actually very good friends with the house. This is the fine-jewellery brand that I respect the most." Fittingly, she is decked out in diamonds, pearls and 18-carat white-gold earrings the shape of traditional Chinese fans - but they are of her own conception, rather than the Italian jewellers'. "I don't really want to put on jewellery so that people just look at that. I passed that stage. It just has to be part of my life," she says.

Luckily, Wan's life accommodates diamonds at breakfast. She splits her time between four cities, each with its own dress code. Beijing, for one month of the year to see her family, is "very casual, not fashionable at all", calling for leggings from American Apparel. Hong Kong is where she goes hiking, requiring Lululemon gym clothes and Nike trainers. London is a professional zone, where she dons dresses from Balmain, Alexander McQueen and Victoria Beckham - "always tight-fitting; dresses that make you feel you can't mess up" - while Paris means front-row seats at fashion shows. This requires sartorial diplomacy. "You can't go to Dior wearing Chanel," she says. "And you have to be in the correct season." Then there's the gala dinners and the red carpet. "I always wear floor-length, and I always show the curves," she says. "I'm not tall, like Cate Blanchett - I can't play with hemlines. You have to go easy, dress for your body shape."

Lessons from the stylish: Emilia Wickstead, 30, designer

Such a honed formula is the result of years of experimentation. Wan grew up in conservative Beijing, where her parents still reside, in a household that frequently played host to communist officials. She's reluctant to discuss her childhood or her life in China - her family's influence combined with her love of a good party have rendered her tabloid fodder - but she is happy to talk teenage rebellion. "I moved to New York when I was 16 and had a punk stage. I went to Sarah Lawrence College, which is very much a hippy school, so I had piercings, black eyeliner, I was cutting up T-shirts, cutting up socks to wear on my arms…" she laughs. It's a great laugh - like that of Dick Dastardly's sidekick Muttley. "I actually really appreciate those years," she sighs, catching her breath.

Wan's jewellery line, launched in 2007, treads a similarly fine line between tradition and transition. Her designs take Chinese symbols and present them in rich, luxurious combinations. There are gold and diamond earrings in the shape of pagodas; a panda pendant in black and white diamonds; and a sparkling pair of vase-shaped diamond pavé earrings, inspired by Buddhist urns of wisdom. Her favourite gem, though, is a tiny diamond worn just inside her ear. "It's not expensive; my mother gave it to me a long time ago and I have never taken it off. I've seen a lot of huge diamonds in my life but this is the only thing I wear every day." She pauses. "There are a lot of young fashion victims in Asia, who want to look on season, on trend. But my mother keeps me grounded."

One vestige of the punk period still stands: her multicoloured hair. "I got bored. I thought, 'Let's trash it!' I have bleached it six times. At the moment it's pink, blue, purple, red, green… and now it matches my dress perfectly!"

Q & A:

On keeping warm
Winter in Beijing is like London, relatively cold. I wear a lot of cashmere, and down coats from Pucci. Lots of people think Pucci is a summer brand, but they do very well-made coats in beautiful patterns.

How to walk the red carpet like a pro
If you have a correct posture, you will always look good. I take ballet, yoga and Pilates classes to keep my posture good. Regular stretching also helps.

On dressing for your shape
If you are tiny, like me, you cannot wear big, square things that don't flatter the body. Céline a couple of seasons ago made me look like a wall. You have to be very tall to carry off that look. Stick to amazing geometric patterns and form-flattering cuts that don't kill your style. Also carry a small handbag; I like this one by Moschino (left). But the best way to keep yourself stylish is to not follow fashion.

Via: Lessons from the stylish: Bao Bao Wan, jewellery designer

Why Eileen Ford was a model agent like no other

Perhaps because she had three daughters of her own, Eileen Ford guarded her models' reputations with scrupulous ferocity. If a model was especially young, she was sent to live in one of Ford's apartments with a group of others, where she would be closely chaperoned. She might even live in the bosom of Ford's own family.

Unlike many of her male counterparts, Ford recognised that models, for all their womanly beauty, "are all just little kids. most models are emotionally abandoned. They need me. I'm their mother."

She didn't simply coddle them, but patched up their curtailed educations, taking them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as teaching them to walk properly.

REAS: Ford Models founder Eileen Ford dies aged 92

For Ford's protégées, such as Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell (who Ford wouldn't allow to smoke), Ford's slightly old fashioned hands-on approach, while sometimes chafing, created a tremendous sense of loyalty - and it was necessary, because wherever there is one or more models, it is a law of nature that a school of male predators, often much older, are never far behind.

To be represented by the Ford agency was to be among the elite - and the highly paid. She was a notoriously tough dealmaker, negotiating the first million dollar contract for Lauren Hutton (with Revlon) way back in 1974. And she continued smashing through salary barriers. "My income surpassed my dad's in my first year of modelling - and my dad made a good living," Turlington once said of her earnings.

With increasingly large sums of money at stake, it was inevitable that some acrimonious warfare should eventually break bout between the leading agencies. When the size zero debate caught fire 10 years ago, Ford, somewhat dismissively asked, "Why don't Mummy and Daddy feed them properly? Why should a whole business assume responsibility for a job that absolutely in my mind belongs to the parent?".

The bottom line, however, was that Ford had an extraordinary eye when it came to picking models, and knew how to maximise their potentials. She lived and breathed her job and although undoubtedly a demanding taskmaster, created a cordon-sanitaire of respectability around her models, in a world full of sleaze and temptation.

Ford in 1977. Photo: AP

Via: Why Eileen Ford was a model agent like no other

Genius! Eurovision Winner Conchita Wurst Just Closed Jean Paul Gaultier's Couture Show

Jean Paul Gaultier is well known for his taboo breaking casting choices. From transgender model Andrej Pejic to singer Beth Ditto, JPG’s catwalk shows are more often then not far removed from the ubiquitous parade of waifs which is the standard elsewhere.

Conchita Wurst Closes Jean Paul Gaultier Couture A/W 2014, Credit: Getty

It was not a complete surprise therefore when this year’s Eurovision contest winner, Conchita Wurst walked out on to JPG's catwalk to close his A/W 2014 couture show in Paris today. Tom Neuwith – the Austrian singer better known by her bearded drag stage persona, Conchita – stole the Eurovision show in Copenhagen earlier this year with the song ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’.

Since the win, Conchita has become and icon for Europe’s LGBT community and an emblem of hope for those living in intolerant societies. Denounced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin amongst other politicians and church leaders, not all the response to her achivement has sadly been positive. However, her eloquent rebuttal to the criticism has served only to widen her fanbase.

Conchita Wurst with Jean Paul Gaultier at the 2014 Life Ball

By casting Conchita to close his show, JPG once again added a political flavour to the Couture collections. Since his Eurotrash days, the designer has always been associated with queer culture and has previously dressed Conchita – notably at this year's Life Ball. In the rarefied environment of the world's most exclusive fashion shows, it's heartening to see that JPG is still taking risks and working his casting magic.

Watch Conchita Wurst's winning Eurovision performance below...

Via: Genius! Eurovision Winner Conchita Wurst Just Closed Jean Paul Gaultier's Couture Show

Paris Haute Couture Week autumn/winter 2014 blog

Raf's in harmony at Dior
Two years into his gig as High Command at Dior, the Belgian designer Raf Simons appears to have marshalled all the disparate troops at his disposal - from the scores of "petites mains" who craft all the clothes by hand in the ateliers, to the fathomless Dior archives - and have them all working in perfect harmony. There was archival history galore here. Embroidered silk frock coats, sweeping ball skirts and melting fondant colours could all be said to be Dior tropes. But Simons is now sufficiently confident to put his own stamp on them.

Dior's orchid dream
Try counting the number of whiter-than-white orchids at Dior's presentation at your own cross-eyed peril. Creative director Raf Simons decked the Musée Rodin out in the purist of petals to match the pale confections of his autumn/winter 2014 Haute Couture collection. The result? The most beautiful snow globe we have ever seen.

Photo: Instagram/@miroduma

America's new power couple hit Paris
In case you hadn't noticed, Charlize Theron and Sean Penn are now officially joined at the hip. The duo let Dior's front row bask in the honey glow of their California tan before skipping off into the romantic city of Paris for more canoodling. See more stars at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week here

Photo: Twitter: @Dior

Just look at lost lamb Penn lingering behind his partner during the mammoth pre-show photo sessions. Awww!

Photo: AFP

IN PICTURES: Celebrities at Paris Haute Couture Week

Fantasy bridal wear
On Aura Tout Vu's take on a bridal gown, with it's icicle-covered shoulders and jumpsuit is part snow queen, part disco-diva. As fantastical as it looks, it's actually a rather practical and versatlile invesment.

On Aura Tout Vu's warriors
Looking like futuristic characters from Game of Thrones, On Aura Tout Vu's collections never fail to disappoint

Zahia's make-under
Zahia Dehar - she of curvy, caramel-coloured skin and French footballers' underage prostitute fame - has revealed something of a discreet, new look at the shows (not to be confused with Dior's New Look of 1947!). She's already been to two in as many days (Versace and Schiaparelli - never had her down as a fan of the latter, but hey ho) and has swapped the obscene necklines for something more demure, as well as cutting back on the eyelash extensions. Here's hoping the new lingerie designer puts on one of her almighty spectacles this week...

Photos: AP/ Getty

Schiaparelli's second collection has lift-off
Creative director Marco Zanini appears to have found a joyous chic that's all the more elegant for hovering half-way between the late Elsa Schiaparelli's playful absurdism and her severe angularity. The vast Schiaparelli shoulders associated with the 1940s were there, in the form of jewelled mini boleros, but whip them off, and beneath were sinuous marron glace smooth satin bias cut dresses that looked effortless and light. Read the full report here

Photos: Isidore Montag

Sunday, July 6

Hirsute heroine
Wow, top model Maria Carla Boscono has got a lot of facial hair!!
...But hang on a minute - those are her false eyelashes strategically places. So we can confirm that the Spanish Super is perfect afterall.

Picture: Instagram

Jen's team hit the front row
Without a man currently in her life, and her twin children no doubt at school, stage diva Jennifer Lopez filled the front row at Versace with her 'team'. We can imagine the organisers frantically ordering their most loyal oligarch customers to the back row just to make way for erm, Jen's PA and make-up re-applier.

Picture: Instagram

Wondering what the dress-trouser hybrid is that Jenny from the block is wearing? We investigate the confusing 'tress' here

Gaudy glitziness at Versace
The big show of Sunday evening was undoubtedly Versace, where perfectly waxed crotches were on show and asymmetry ruled the design roster. Looks like Angelina's right leg might me making a comeback... Read the full show report on Telegraph Luxury

Photos: Isidore Montag

Stephanie Coudert's debut
Up-and-coming French designer Stephanie Coudert, 39, showed her first Haute Couture on Sunday evening, a dream come true for the label which serves just 30 private clients from its small boutique in Belleville.

Photo: Getty
Her creations caught the name of an unnamed investor last year, which has allowed her to show on the schedule. She triumphed with her structured tailoring and languid separates

Photos: AP/ AFP

Via: Paris Haute Couture Week autumn/winter 2014 blog

David Lynch Inspired Kenzos Eerie New Campaign

Here's news that everyone who bid on Laura Palmer's house will be excited about: David Lynch designed the sets for Kenzo's wonderfully creepy fall show, and now his aesthetic has informed their fall campaign, starring Guinevere van Seenus and Robert McKinnon. "Since the collection was inspired by David Lynch, it was natural for us to incorporate some of the emotions we experience when seeing his work," explained co-designer Carol Lim in a release. Added Humberto Leon, “Guinevere really feels like a woman who could live in David Lynch’s world and could emulate the range of character one could see in his movies. We loved how she plays on the subtly ambiguous relationship with Robert. It’s part of the process of trying to discern what’s really going on.” And if you have any leads into what's really going on here — in particular, with the disembodied leg sticking through that mail slot — let us know.

Via: David Lynch Inspired Kenzos Eerie New Campaign

Haute Couture fact file

The definition
Haute Couture literally translates as 'high sewing' (and thus high fashion). It is the art of dressmaking on a luxurious and grandiose scale. Items are made-to-measure by hand, resulting in pieces of clothing that are both unique and painstakingly perfect.

The history
Haute Couture was a necessity for high-class Parisians in the 19th century. The ultimate in power-dressing, women went to couture houses to have bespoke clothing that would set them apart from the rest of the fashion set - leaving it impossible for other ladies to turn up to events in the same outfits. The opulent ring of exclusivity still surrounds Haute Couture today, with the label being a legal - and highly regarded - term to be used by only a very select number of designers meeting the standard.

SEE: Paris Haute Couture spring/summer 2013: 20 dresses to die for

What does it take to be a couturier?
Legally, a design house can only identify itself as an Haute Couture label if it adheres to the strict requirements of the French Ministry of Industry and the Fédération Française de la Couture. First, a designer must create made-to-measure clothing for private clients and offer personal fittings. They must also have a full-time workshop in Paris that employs no fewer than twenty staff. Finally, the fashion house must present two collections a year - in January and July - comprising both daytime and formal evening wear.

READ: 'Craziness with discipline': Karl Lagerfeld discusses Chanel Couture

Who makes it?
'Les petite mains' (which literally means small hands) refers to the collective 2,200 seamstresses who painstakingly bring haute couture creations to life. Working in the ateliers, this talented, patient breed are often fiercely loyal to a fashion house, spending their whole career solely at one brand.

How much?
Anything made-to-measure is going to be pricier than plain old ready-to-wear, but Haute Couture is a whole other story. With some pieces taking upward of 700 hours to create, and a minimum of twenty people working on it at a time, the price tag will reflect that tenfold. Daywear pieces start at approximately £8,000, with evening and formal wear rocketing far above that. The use of rare fabrics and precious embellishments will hike the price even higher; it's not unheard of for some items to fetch up to the millions.

Who buys it?
The main buyers of Haute Couture today are no longer French socialites, but buyers from Russia, China and the Middle East. Fine clothing items can escalate in value over the years, and are often regarded as collectors' items, making for a clever investment.

READ: The Russians steal the show on the f'row at couture fashion week

Where is it shown?
Collections are always showcased in the birthplace of Haute Couture, Paris. Karl Lagerfeld has noted the impact private planes have had on the couture industry, telling WWD: "Most of the clients don't even see the collection in the salon. The collection goes to the country, it's shown to the women after they make a vague choice on the video. It's a different world from the past."

The key players
Household names Christian Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Elie Saab and Jean-Paul Gaultier all show on the official Haute Couture schedule, while the likes of Viktor & Rolf are considered to be a 'correspondent member'. Hervé Leroux and Zuhair Murad have recently been elected as 'guest members'. Those no longer in the frame include Yves Saint Laurent, who ceased making collections in 2002.

READ: Valentino make magic at Paris Haute Couture

The key components
Only the finest materials by the most skilled artisans will do when it comes to Haute Couture. Thus, houses call upon Lemarié for the finest feathers; Lesage for embroidery; Massaro for shoes; Causse for gloves... and so it goes on. Speciality is the name of the game.

How profitable?
Fashion houses receive very little profit from Haute Couture; in fact, they often lose money. Colossal expenses and a tiny clientele (there are only an estimated 2,000 female customers globally) perhaps explain why, in the past 60 years, the number of couture houses has decreased dramatically. Nonetheless, couture is seen by many as a long-term investment, augmenting brand image and raising the profile of ready-to-wear collections.

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week autumn/winter 2013 runs from June 30 - July 5. For the full schedule visit www.modeaparis.com.

Tune in for coverage of the Haute Couture shows here.

Via: Haute Couture fact file