Illustration by Andy Murillo

Translated directly from French, Haute Couture means “high dressmaking”. Haute couture pieces are one-offs and totally individual. For a fashion house today to qualify as a Haute Couture house, they must meet a specific set of guidelines and be selected by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture ( I shall be adding fluent French to my resume after writing this). Some prominent Haute Couture houses are Dior, Jean Paul Gautier and Valentino. Haute Couture is an important part of the fashion industry today, but where exactly did it start?

Charles Fredrick Worth, better known as the “Father of Haute Couture” is the reason Haute Couture is what it is today. While a majority of his fashion career was established in France, He was actually born in 1825 in Lincolnshire, England. He began working in the fashion industry, as an apprentice and clerk for a large textile merchant in London. This allowed Worth to gain extensive knowledge on fabrics and the actual business of supplying dress makers. While in London, Worth was a frequent visitor to the National Gallery and other collections, where he would study. This hobby would later help him in his own career, as elements of historical dresses in  art would provide  extensive inspiration for his own designs.

In 1845, Worth made the brave decision to move to Paris – despite not speaking any French. He quickly became fluent, and found employment at Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, a fashion house that sold textiles, shawls, and few ready-made garments. It’s important to know that in the 19th century, off the rack was not a common thing, and D.I.Y was the moment! Women made their own clothes or if they could afford, depending on social class, paid others to make their garments. They went out and purchased the materials and brought them to the dressmakers, giving specific instructions on the construction. Worth was the leading salesman at Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, which allowed him to pitch the idea of adding a dress making section. While the bosses were hesitant at first, Worth was allowed to pursue the idea, which brought Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, as well as Worth notoriety. The dresses produced by Worth at this time went on to win awards and were displayed at two major exhibitions – Exposition Universelle in Paris and the Great Exhibition in London.

In 1858, Worth left Gagelin-Opigez & Cie, and alongside Otto Gustaf Bobergh began his own fashion house. Eventually these two split partnership and the House of Worth began. 

Worth and his designs gained fame for a variety of reasons. The time period is important to note in Worth’s success. Under Napoleon the third, Paris became the royal capital, both fresh and modern. It also became the host city for state occasions. This boosted the French economy, and resulted in a higher demand for luxury goods, such as textiles. The French demand was shocking post-revolution and helped launch Worth’s career. Emperor Napoleon’s marriage to Empress Eugénie in 1853 contributed to Worth’s success. Eugénie was basically the influencer of her time, as her subjects at court would dress in styles like hers. Her loyalty to the House of Worth attracted a number of customers.

The popularity of Worth’s designs only grew. People would travel to Paris from all over the world to purchase wardrobes of clothes from the House. The house designed and made dresses for daily wear, night wear, fancy dress costumes, masquerade ball gowns and wedding dresses. Worth was also responsible for a majority of costumes for major theatres and stars at the time. Worth continued to build his House by self-promotion and upon his death, his two sons Gaston-Lucien and Jean-Philippe took over and continued to design and create with great success.

Charles Frederick Worth’s style in regards to design was completely unique. His elaborate designs  were a mix of historical elements with grand fabrics and extravagant trimming which set him apart from any other designer at the time. 

Even now, his work has stood the test of time. Many of his designs feature mutton sleeves (Puffy sleeves), a trend that has taken over Instagram in 2020. This sleeve can also be seen in the works of major fashion houses, such as Moschino and Givenchy. His attention to detail is what impresses me most, an example highlighting is the iconic “Peacock” Dress worn by Lady Curzon. The hand-embroidery that stretches from the bodice to the train of the skirt to create the illusion of peacock feathers is nothing short of breath-taking. Worth’s clothes can be seen as a part of the permanent collection in the Costume institute in America and in other collections around the globe. 

Fashion would not be what it is today without Charles Fredrick Worth and his name will not be forgotten.

 

Sources:

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrth/hd_wrth.htm

https://www.businessoffashion.com/education/fashion-az/haute-couture

https://marjoriemagazine.com/2019/03/25/worth-the-man-with-the-most-beautiful-gowns-in-the-world/

https://thepeacockdress.com/project/what-is-the-peacock-dress/