Ever wondered what it would be like to shop for Haute Couture. When defined it means French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" often refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. It originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. In modern France, Haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as Milan, London, Rome, New York and Tokyo. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. n France, the term haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris based in Paris, France. Their rules state that only "those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves" of the label haute couture. The criteria for Haute couture were established in 1945 and updated in 1992.

To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules:

* Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.
* Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.
* Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

This documentary uncovers the anachronistic and surprising fairytale world of haute couture through its players past and present, featuring rare archive from the BBC vaults.

Other things you might want to know are
As of the 2008/2009 Fall/Winter Haute Couture Fashion Week.[1]

Official members

Adeline André
Anne Valérie Hash
Chanel
Christian Dior
Christian Lacroix
Dominique Sirop
Emanuel Ungaro
Franck Sorbier
Givenchy
Jean Paul Gaultier
Maurizio Galante

Correspondent members (foreign)

Elie Saab
Giorgio Armani
Maison Martin Margiela
Valentino SpA

Guest members

Adam Jones
Alexis Mabille
Boudicca
Cathy Pill
Christophe Josse
Felipe Oliveira Baptista
Gustavo Lins
Jean-Paul Knott
Josep Font
Lefranc.Ferrant
Marc Le Bihan
Richard René
Stéphane Rolland
Udo Edling
WUYONG

Guest members from the 2008 Spring/Summer Haute Couture week also included Eymeric François, Gérald Watelet, Nicolas Le Cauchois and On aura tout vu.[2]

Former members who are now Ready to Wear

Atelier Versace
Elsa Schiaparelli
Emilio Pucci
Erica Spitulski
Erik Tenorio
Fred Setal
Guy Laroche
Hanae Mori

Jean Patou
Jean-Louis Scherrer
Lanvin
Loris Azzaro
Louis Feraud
Mainbocher
Marcel Rochas

Nina Ricci
Paco Rabanne
Pierre Balmain
Pierre Cardin
Ralph Rucci
Torrente
Yves Saint Laurent

Enjoy.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6