
The highbrow world of haute couture continues to be a lesson in contradiction. It celebrates the inspired ritual of the fashion industry’s creative expression–yet, in reality, it is the industry’s most exclusive rite available only to a select few. Nonetheless, the conversation regarding the relevance of haute couture endures. What purpose does it serve in the frenzied pace of the ready-to-wear market—which presents six collections a year—and the mass market industry of disposable clothing?