Why Couture is so expensive

The thought of a Haute Couture Fashion Week churns out vivid images of spikey stilettos, flowing bubbly and botox-injected front row dignitaries. With the Synergy 1-Delhi Couture Week opening last night, we look at why couture garments come with an expensive tag.

The thought of a Haute Couture Fashion Week churns out vivid images of spikey stilettos, flowing bubbly and botox-injected front row dignitaries. However, clothes are the real jewel of this elusive world. “The very idea of couture is where its appeal lies. It’s not just about well stitched clothes. Rather, it is about the decades old techniques, embroidery and craft that is used to make a single garment,” says stylist, Rin Jajo.

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“A couture garment is perhaps one of the most personal thing a fashion designer can make. Everything about the piece is one of a kind, which is why people don’t have an issue with the price tag,” says fashion editor, Varun Rana. From the rarest of fabrics to the shiniest of crystals, the painstaking work that goes into creating each garment justifies the skyrocketing prices of these clothes. Here, we take a look at what makes these clothes worth all those digits.

Price:

Rs2.45 Lac

WHY?

This evening gown by Shantanu & Nikhil is made with about 20 meters of net and can-can. It also has super soft silk, which is custom-made in Italy, weaved with metallic yarn to add to the bling. All the gowns feature four different types of fabrics. They took almost three and half months to be made.

(Lehenga only)
Price R2 Lac
WHY? The antique finish lehenga comes with this hefty tag because of the intricate work that went into making it. About 20 meters of gold and silver gota, with zardosi has been used. The 36 kali lehenga is made of woven Varanasi brocade, which was made by hand in the temple city by almost 30 artisans. This single piece took close to one year to complete, because everything was made by hand from scratch and it cannot be replicated.

PRICE: Only on order
WHY? The sherwani inspired jacket by designer JJ Valaya took nearly 700 man hours to complete, and is made of a custom-made woven silk base, silk velvet applique, moquaish and dabka in zardosi stitch. Venetian glass beads and crystals are also used. No wonder the price wasn’t revealed.