Insight From Cindy Ferrara...

The always insightful Cathy Horyn posted an article of a conversation between her and Cindy Ferrara; Behind the Scenes: The Product Specialist. I cannot recommend reading this enough, it goes in depth about the growing conflict that is happening in New York's garment district. Perhaps what I find most interesting is how over the years is that the focus on quality and fit has drastically decreased over the years. Unfortunately I was not alive in the 50's and 60's to see the great couturiers at work; to see the meticulous attention to detail that went into making clothes. Slowly Haute Couture is dying off; people do not want to pay for a couture ensemble, nor do they have the time to invest in it in a world of ready-to-wear. This recent couture season in particular proved to be a sorrowing one, and I think everyone can agree that the last true couturier has fallen to the economy. Christian Lacroix, with his colorful, whimsical, and masterful design, announced last season that he had lost financial backing, and his company never regained the backing that they needed. Haute Couture is truly fashion at its most refined. Whenever I show my little sister Hannah pictures of Haute Couture gowns, I stress to her the importance of the clothes. It really makes me sad though, because I know she does not really understand how much goes into making these works of art; the hours spent not only constructing the clothes, but also in producing the materials to make them with. People these days who want to get into fashion look to start their own line, to just make clothes. You need to only open the newest issue of People Magazine to see which latest celebrity is dipping their feet in the fashion market. What is it that makes them qualified to do so? I'm constantly frustrated with people who show no interest in the history of fashion, to understand what to do next, you need to know what came before you. I realize this industry requires a certain amount of passion and determination, and I really feel like it is lacking. There is a reason why I aspire to work at a house such as Balenciaga or Givenchy; it is because those are houses who really care. They care about what goes into clothes. People not familiar with the fashion world seem to be shocked about some of the prices that they see, but there is a reason a pair of Balenciaga shoes retail in the $5,000 range. Not only is the design miles ahead of the competition (yes, I am aware of the occasional copy, but what designer doesn't appropriate from time to time?), but there is an unsurpassed amount of quality in materials and craftsmanship that goes into them. I feel like I might be getting repetitive with this, but I really can't stress the quality of a good enough. I aspire to work at one of those established Haute Couture brands one day so I can learn the trade, to try and keep Haute Couture alive, and one day teach what I have learned to others in hope that they will do the same. It really is a sad position we are in, to watch a craft that is so steeped in history slowly fade into oblivion. I always associate Haute Couture to Linguistics. In January, the last native speaker of the Aka-Bo language died. I can only imagine how devastating this is to people who are passionate about preserving languages. Like fashion, you can only sit back and watch as the number of people dwindle down, and others frantically try to make records of what little remains. Fashion critics have their own doomsday clock, one which midnight represents the end of Haute Couture, and I can only hope to do my part in keeping that clock from advancing to the next day.