Exclusiveness. The measure. Garments made by hand and with little use of the sewing machine. Luxury materials hand-stitched carefully for a perfect finish. Costurers who develop new techniques that take a long time.
That is why it is said that Haute Couture pieces are priceless. The development of these bespoke designs is known worldwide and only a few privileged can afford. It is an exclusive design, made with the highest quality materials that will adapt to every inch of your body. Undoubtedly, Haute Couture is the dream of every woman.
Catherine Riviere is in charge of directing the Haute Couture of the house Dior. She controls the entire process, from being manufactured until the customer buys it. Her function is mainly to ensure that the house maintains the tradition but adapting to the modern. She does not talk about prices. She says that the price of a Haute Couture garment should only matter to the client who is going to buy the garment and that if she then wants to say what it has cost, say it. Despite not wanting to talk about prices, she gives a clue: from 40,000 €. However, a piece of what we know as prêt-à-porter, would cost us approximately 8,000 €.
But many will ask: What´s the difference between Haute Couture and prêt-à-porter? The materials used. But above all, the hours. Many will think that we talk about expensive clothes. And it is true. But it is what they cost. They may be working on a dress for a whole year, counting on the manufacture of the materials, the measurements of the client and the work of the seamstresses. It is a work of art, a way of being and thinking. It is something unique and extraordinary that will have only an individual experience. And that’s where the difference is made.
Prêt-à-porter (ready to wear) garments, would be the ones that are made, unlike the Haute Couture, with a certain pattern and with which they work according to the demand of the product. We could say that they are the clothes we usually wear on a daily basis (although some people can afford wear Haute Couture daily).
Not all luxury brands that most of us know work with Haute Couture garments. In fact, there is an union in which you must meet some guidelines to be part of this select club.
1. The first rule is that the house must design the client an exclusive piece and totally tailored, with one or more tests until the garment is perfect.
2. The second rule talks about the membership of a workshop or studio that is located in Paris and has at least 20 employees working full time.
3. The third but not least is that each season must present to the public a collection of at least 50 new designs of the brand.
All the houses that make Haute Couture, also make prêt-à-porter. In addition, the latest is the one that gives more income to the brands. It’s what sells the most and it takes less time to make it.
The official members of Haute Couture are: Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stephane Rolland and Giambattista Valli. In addition, foreign members include Elie Saab and Versace.
During the 20th century Haute Couture suffered a significant decline. From 106 homes in 1946 to only 18 in 2000, reducing to only 9 in 2004 (Versace, Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Lacroix, Gaultier, Givenchy …).
Tag: dior
Versailles fashion Show
“Fashion is the history of a tissue.”
-Eleonor Lambert
The distance between continents was reduced. That night meant a change in culture. In fashion. People were looking for surprise, it was like playing a game. It was the turning point that changed everything. That night of 1973 fashion saved a palace in ruins, the Palace of Versailles.
Eleonor Lambert was the precursor of all this night. We could say that she was the true creator of fashion. In the 40s she was a publicist and started to make the lists that today we know as Top Tens of the best dresses. Without doubt, it was the Ana Wintour of the time. And also, a formidable organizer.
Everything arose with the ideal motive: the Palace of Versailles. An idea that originated in order to raise funds to be able to reform it. And why not, also with the reason to join two continents that despite their differences, had many more things in common than they thought: among them, the exquisite taste for fashion. To create beauty in any of its forms.
A runaway and a dinner. New York and Paris. Both involved in a context in which everything was allowed. The first homosexual movements, feminism. People of color are already on TV. Creativity was undoubtedly booming and people could not care less. Quite the opposite: it was what they were looking for. And the sexual and artistic freedom of the time pushed much to the creation of new designs that represented the free women.
Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Pierre Cardin and Emanuel Hungaro went on the night of November 28th to present their designs of Parisian Haute couture. The New York side was represented by designers Stephen Burrows, Anne Klein, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta and Halston.
At that time France was the pioneer of fashion par excellence. They rehearsed in the mornings while the Americans had to settle for the nights. The fashion event of the year had an anecdote. Halston, one of the North American designers, outdid others and knew it. He had a natural elegance but a great ego. Everyone was knocking at his door and he was a marketing genius. In the short time New Yorkers had to rehearse their runaways, time was running out and Halston saw that he was not going to be able to prepare his runaway. He picked up the door and went away angry, leaving the rest of the team to manage as he was because he was not going to participate in this. However, the next day it appeared as if nothing had happened.
Runaway begins. French were very chic and their sets were fantastic. It was a very French runaway, very elaborate but very complex. There was too much movement and it was very pretentious. Especially emphasized Josephine Baker, that paraded with great feathers in the head and made a spectacular interpretation.
The decorations were made of wood from the 17th century. There was everything and those present were amazed at what they saw: a rhinoceros pulling a cart. A pumpkin carriage (Dior), reindeer and many bright things. These were among other things that they could appreciate in the 2 hours and a half that lasted the parade. However, there were so many mixed ideas that the attendees were left with the feeling that it had been a bit ridiculous. Most do not remember the clothes that were exposed that night.
Nervous and excited the 42 North American models that paraded in Versailles, were set in motion. And the color exploded.
Stephen Burrows, the only designer still alive from that night, revolutionized the runway with his stunning African-American models. They radiated beauty everywhere. An innovative element, since most of the models that used to parade were of white complexion. If we join it to the burst of color of the clothes of Burrows, the parade left open mouth to more than one.
The entire North American show was wrapped in a Broadway musical. It gave energy with its designs, with its music. It was like a breath of fresh air that the French loved. For more information, it all culminated in the perfect and fabulous performance of Liza Minelli. It was only 37 minutes of show in which the Parisians felt absolute admiration for the runaway of the Americans. And the first to stand was Princess Grazia of Monaco.
At the end of the shows, those present gathered for dinner. But they could not begin, someone was missing. –Where is Eleonor Lambert? We can not start without it!-Someone said. And there she was, sending a press release in which he commented that the American runaway had been a success.
An experience that all those who were on that night of November 28, 1973 still remember and will not forget. Because the models began to have more opportunities; Because Paris realized that it needed to be renewed; Because New York took a giant leap; Because the African American triumphed; And last but not least:
Because they rescued Versailles.
Prince: a fashion icon
On June 8, 1958 was born one of the stars of the music: Prince. In addition to being an icon of music, it also became a fashion icon. His style became a benchmark for all his fans and also for those who were not. A style that played with the androgynous and the sexual, making its way of dressing unique and incomparable. No one knew how to wear those clothes like Prince: he understood fashion in a different way. Every look with he appears in any event was a total declaration of intentions, always striking and with extravagant accessories. And just when we thought that the appearance of the disco was gone, Prince was the one in charge to give it a turn so that it became the look of reference of the time.
At its beginnings, around the 70’s, Prince delighted the world of fashion with an explosion of colors and shines that we had never been seen before. One of his must-have were heels and platforms: he measured 160 cm and did anything to look taller than he was. Or so they say since he said:
People say I wear heels because I’m short. Actually I wear them because women like them.
-Prince
One of the looks that has given more to speak is without a doubt the “pirate look”, one of its hallmarks in the 80’s that coincided with the release of his album in 1999. In it, bulky shirts were the protagonists.
Purple color became for him a referent since it symbolizes the ambiguity, the fantasy and the extraordinary thing. He could not have chosen better color to represent one of his best known songs as Purple Rain.
Feathers, volumes, colors, eccentric sunglasses, vibrant costumes that always accompanied a bell trousers, bombers, a thousand and one jewels (when Prince was already tired of wearing the earcuff, the rest began to wear it), the famous animal print, jackets with lyrics and even those oriental airs of thoughts such as Hinduism or Buddhism that made him compare to Jimmy Hendrix.
Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Chris Martin, Beyoncé or Pharrell are just some of the artists who have copied the strongest showman styles of Minesotta without shamelessness. Prince has also inspired designers and has been dressed in more than one occasion by luxury brands as Versace.
And as a good lover of fashion we have also been able to see you in the front row of such important parades as John Galliano’s for Dior, along with the presence of Katy Perry and her ex-boyfriend.
If you love his style, you could find some vintage clothes that remind him at our vintage section as this fantastic jackets of Versace:
Preloved products: the new market
In recent years, thrift stores have gained great importance in the market. However, those products that seemingly are inaccessible to most, are more accessible because of luxury thrift stores. Chanel handbags, the Birkin handbag by Hermès, Versace or Dior designer luxury dresses, Gucci’s latest by Tom Ford or luxury vintage clothing are some of the most sought-after items searched for consumers.
Many are those who think that buying luxury products in these types of stores takes away the prestige of whoever buys it. However, we can say that is the opposite. If an item is in perfect condition and I can also get it cheaper, why would not I buy it? Let’s say that buying cheaper second-hand luxury goods is a symbol of intelligence and not of smear.
Only a couple of years ago that online commerce began to be booming and there are still many people who distrust this type of service. It is logical that these are parts that can be obtained much cheaper, but still remain expensive. The ideal thing to take confidence in this type of purchase is to start with luxury accessories, since its cost is lower and it is not so afraid to “lose” that money in the event that the purchase was a scam.
The first thing to look for when buying in a second-hand online store of luxury products is social networks like Pinterest or Instagram: the user profile is real if you have many followers and publications. The second of the things to keep in mind is in the form of payment: the safest for this type of commerce is PayPal. Why? Check it out in this article and answer all your doubts. The third but not least, we must look at user ratings either on their website or on other platforms where they are selling their products such as Ebay.
Now comes the second question: how do I know if the article I’m interested in is authentic? It is one of the biggest fears when buying online. In our case, Luxury and Vintage Madrid has a team of professionals who analyze the product and confirm that it is 100% authentic before taking the photos of the product to put it on sale. The process is thorough, which analyzes the material and composition of the product, logos, engraving, serial numbers, invoices … ultimately, analyze the smallest detail to ensure the quality standard for to be able to sell the product.
When buying on the Internet is also very important to look at the pictures of the product and its description: the more photos in which we can see the details, the better. In addition, in the case of a product description that has a defect, it is important to see what it is, and if we can provide a photograph with that defect, perhaps when we see it does not seem such a big problem for not buying it.
In addition, this new type of web pages not only benefit people who want to purchase a product: also, for those who want to sell it. Normally, there is a “consign” section in which you send your product to the company and they upload it to their website after having passed the authenticity check. The objective? That you sell your product faster. When it comes to trusting this type of service, you should be aware of the type of percentage or commission that the company takes, as it can sometimes be quite high. In our case, if you want to know more about our procedure of consignment, we attach the section of our web page with the specifications to consign.
From Luxury and Vintage Madrid, we offer you the seriousness, the quality and the loyalty so that you trust in us to the 100%. We sell quality and authenticity at the best price. Luxury items for both men and women, with all quality standards in order and a secure payment method. What more could you ask for?
Loewe’s Amazon bag, Hermès’ famous Birkin or Constance bags, or Chanel’s classic 2.55 are some of the items our customers are already enjoying because of their trust in us.
What are you waiting for?
Today is Kate Moss birthday
Coinciding with this Blue Monday (or the saddest Monday of the year), today is Kate Moss´ birthday. It´s been 43 years since Kate arrived to this world, but was on the age of 14 when Sarah Daukas (the founder of the agency model Storm) found her at the airport of John F. Kennedy on the year 1988.
The most important year for her was 1992. After being discovered, Calvin Klein wanted Kate Moss in his catwalk to promote the first line of perfumes of the brand. Since then, she has worked with some of the best brands in the world of fashion: Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana, Versace, Chanel, Missoni, Dior, Burberry and much more.
In 2012, she placed second on the Forbes list of the most sought supermodels after having invoiced $ 9.2 million from May 2011 to May 2012 for clients such as Longchamp, Mango, Rimmel, Vogue Eyewear and TopShop.
After several drug scandals, Moss remains one of the most influential supermodels in the world of fashion ( In 2007, TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world), after Kate was considered in the 1990s as the anti-supermodel.
After her relationship during 1994 to 1998 with the famous actor Johnny Deep, the supermodel married Jamie Hince, guitarist for The Kills, from which she separated in the summer of 2015. Later, she began dating Nikolai von Bismarck, a young 29-year-old photographer from German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck.
Happy birthday Kate!
Bye Thanksgiving. Hello Black Friday
Since 1893 Thanksgiving has been celebrating on the fourth Thursday of November. When it ends, we say hello to Black Friday: the day which we have been waiting for a year!
Many trades have been celebrating this day. The truth is that this is our first year with the promotion and we are very happy that you can finally use our discounts to acquire cheap luxury clothing online. You only hace to enter the code during checkout: black15
We have a great variety of designer dresses, pre-loved brands like Missoni, Dior, Elie Tahari, Versace or Marc Jacobs. Of course, for this time of year bison wraps are one of our strengths. In particular this exclusive model of Nelsy Chelala:
Fur coats such as the one shown below by Giorgio Armani,
or these models by Armani Jeans and Donna Karann:
For men who like to dress well and with top quality luxury clothes, we have exclusive designs for the coming holidays, as well as to prepare them for the cold.
These are our suggestions but of course, you could find much more luxury pre-owned clothes that you´ll love for the rest of your life here.
The queen of the 90´s: Donna Karan
“I am not convinced that people have misunderstood me. If you ask someone who is Donna Karan, it is likely to tell you is a designer socks”.
-Donna Karan
Donna Karan Yvy Faske or rather known as Donna Karan is an American designer known worldwide. He was born on October 2, 1948 and raised in a family dedicated to the world of fashion (her mother was a model and her father, tailor).
As expected, Donna Karan decided to study fashion design at Parsons School of New York. Thanks to this, during her student years began to be the assistant of Anna Klein, which opened the doors to employment.
His daughter, Gaby, was the total inspiration to create her brand, DKNY, which at that time was only accessible for a few and began to be imitated by many other brands.
A total example of enterprising woman who was in charge of renewing those cabinets of American women who were beginning to make their way in the world of men labor.
She has her own line of beauty products, has created collections for men, she has launched her own perfume, has been head designer of Hillary Clinton and is associated with various spiritual theories.
After more than 30 years in charge of DKNY, the fashion designer retired from his own brand to take care of Urban Zen, a new philosophy of life by Donna Karan.
“I want to express my gratitude and my sincere feelings to dozens and dozens of colleagues who over the years have helped me make Donna Karan New York far beyond the best of my dreams”. These were the words of the goodbye of Donna Karan.
We could say that she was the queen of the 90´s. All celebrities (including Barbra Streisand or Kate Moss) wanted to have 7 basic items devised by the designer, who combined between them to perfection.
Who was the first designer of fashion?
Am I crazy to confirm that I´m an artist?
-Paul Poiret
Some people are born with a vocation, and knows it. It was the case of Paul Poiret , who supported by his mother and his three sisters decided to be the tyrant of fashion and release the scene against which the fashion world was.
His father, very much against the commitment of the designer , sent to a friend of him for being . All he could take advantage were silk fabrics .
For Paul , there wasn´t something that mattered more than the outward appearance. Therefore, he performed the silks that he got from his boss in extravagant confections in a small wooden mannequin .
He started working in one of the most important fashion houses : Worth, but failed to intervene as he would have liked .
Three years later , Poiret was metting with the choicest staff at parties.
Declaring war on the corset (holding that it was a ridiculous clothing) , he created some long skirts which started from the chest down to the ground . He baptized as <<La Vague>> that covered the body like a gentle wave .
In addition , he replaced corset by flexible bras and garters. Its bright colors , the clarity of his prints and the idea of coating the legs of women with flesh-colored silk , awakened the illusion fashion lovers.
He was also the first designer to make his own perfume. Even in 1911 , created the skort that was condemned by father Pío X.
He left his mark wherever he went, chasing the idea of the total work of art. That´s why Poiret is considered the first designer of the fashion world.
Kendall Jenner will be the cover of September issue in VOGUE
The girl ‘s 63.3 million followers on Instagram has managed to be the cover of VOGUE for September issue this year. Who was going to tell us ?
Raf Simons: the new signing of Calvin Klein
On October 22, 2015, Raf Simons confirmed his departure from the maison for personal reasons after three years of success for Dior. Now it is the time to make way for Calvin Klein, committed to the designer for rebranding after his great career.
"The ugliest collection of Paris"A collection called Liberation from Yves Saint Laurent
From the peplum silhouette to the middle , everything has been done and has done it again a hundred times. And haute couture no longer emits more than homesickness and restraint. As if it were an old lady. I do not care if my clothes evoke the 40´s eyes of the cultivated public. The important thing is that all young girls who didn´t live the time, wanna wear this today.”
The true fashion icon: Anna Wintour
“You can make a film in Hollywood without the backing of Steven Spielberg and remove software in Silicon Valley without Bill Gates. But it is very clear that one can not succeed in the fashion industry without Anna Wintour ‘s blessing . “
Fake or not? Jimmy Choo bags
One of the waves that has taken more prominence in recent years is that of counterfeiting. Suppliers that manufacture these items take advantage of the ignorance of users to sell them as if they were original : Chanel , Dior , Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani , Versace or Jimmy Choo are among the most counterfeited brands.
But how do you prevent fool ?
Christian Dior: the genius of the needle
There are people who really born with a vocation. This was the case of the designer Christian Dior.
Welcome to our new blog!
Have you ever though why luxury brands are so expensive? Are you interested in fashion tips? Do you want to know the life of big designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Gianni Versace, Yves Saint Lauren, John Galliano, Donna Karan, Armani or Marc Jacobs? Do you want to be up to date about fashion shows? We will answer all of this questions!