How millennials have become Couture's biggest client



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T Thousands of hours of demanding embellishment, a schedule and waiting times up to 12 months for a single dress: the traditions of the high Old world sewing, at first glance, do not seem to speak our express age of three hours from click to collect. Yet, the percentage of Millennial couture customers worldwide is growing rapidly.

With Generation Z, the Millennium purchasing power will account for 45% of the global luxury goods market by 2025, according to a study by Bain & Company. In the glitzy world of democratized luxury, many Generation Y members are opting for product experiences – so retailers need to be more and more creative if they want to attract customers away from the ease of online shopping. . And what's more immersive than being personally equipped for your garment by a designer and a team of designers?

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At its peak, after 1947 Christian Dior's New Look, the number of haute couture clients in the world was about 20,000. Today, this group is closer to 4,000 – but its shopping capacity is great. As Karl Lagerfeld said, customers in the past may have bought five couture dresses while modern shoppers will buy 20 – and a percentage closer and closer to 40. But while high fashion was once reserved for older women, witnessed an interesting phenomenon of generational change, "according to fashion mogul Ralph Toledano. Millennials are now a fair game in the alluring world of homes.

Sewing By Numbers

So, what exactly is sewing? "High fashion is a spearhead in terms of creation – a fantastic laboratory of craftsmanship and innovation in design. [It] is a land of free expression for designers and a formidable image creator for brands, "explains Toledano, president of the French Federation of Couture, Prêt-à-Porter Couturiers and Creators of Fashion. For all of the creativity involved, this clown-like organization hints at the true nature of sewing – a tightly controlled numbering process overseen by the French Ministry of Industry. Currently only 14 designers have the right to call high fashion designers, with four 'correspondents'. (those who are not based in Paris, like Viktor & Rolf, Valentino, Elie Saab and Giorgio Armani Privé) and 14 'guest members' the track program, including Ulyana Sergeenko, Iris van Herpen and House Rabih Kayrouz. The houses, with the exception of the small dressmakers, are required to present 50 custom-made outfits a year, each requiring at least one assembly, made by a full-time staff of at least 20 people in a workshop. Parisian. A high fashion garment can last from 150 to over 6000 hours, ranging from a simple dress or costume to a richly decorated and embellished dress, and can cost from 9,000 to 1 million. euros (which, according to Reuters, is the

The Millenial Wave

It is no secret that the Millennials, aged between 19 and 35, have exercised their powerful influence over the world. luxury fashion industry for some time now, breaking down dress codes and influencing the styles of high-low hybrid dressings.They desire a garment rooted as much in reality and practice as in the new, fun and frivolous. Pew Research Center, the largest demographic segment – there are around 2 billion Millennials worldwide – will be boosted by desire and spending habits of the next two decades. "We are working with a fair amount of Millennials," says a representative House of Rabih Kayrouz, the eponymous label founded by the ex-designer Chanel and Dior, known for its know-how. extravagant creations and richly decorated. "About 25% of our customers are between 20 and 30 years old, with a total of 35% below 40."


"The youngest were initiated and entered the market through heritage," says Toledano. "That's always the case, but a new form of clientele has emerged – even younger than before, uninitiated and spread around the world." One of the reasons is the # 39; accessibility. As designers and brands struggle to find new ways to connect with their customers, consumers receive an unprecedented glimpse of the secret world of sewing – a glimpse of the insider behind traditionally closed doors [19659010]

"The web sites of the houses are now powered by formats adapted to the millennia," says Toledano, describing platforms where designers give their inspirations directly, images more festive than formal, filmed tours of the world. workshops and even tutorials. To keep an eye on the future, brands learn to "speak millennia", but they do so without forgetting their "mother tongue," he adds. Clientele

While the first rows of Fashion Week Couture are getting younger, the "big" clients of today are no longer surrounded by mystery and discretion. Dedicated to influencers, celebrities and women between the ages of 20 and 30 from the Middle East and the Far East, China and India, representatives of the Rabih Kayrouz House tell Vogue "girls or women of important businessmen, celebrities, singers, actresses, ballet dancers, fashion editors and bloggers" – and their numbers have increased dramatically in recent years.

But while Millennials train sewing in the 21st century, they also emulate the connoisseurs of the past eras – support the activity of sewing and preserve its art for future generations.Take Wendy Yu, a longtime customer who n & rsquo; Has not yet reached 30. The daughter of the largest manufacturer of wooden doors in China, her passion for exquisite clothes began just like everyone else – collecting the international editions of Vogue and feeling what it's like. she saw On their pages you can feel her keen interest in the details of sewing – a passion that she made professional in 2015 with the founding of Yu Holdings, a fashion investment company with a mighty weight. And she is also turning to arts patronage, as part of the events committee of the Met Museum in New York.


In her wardrobe, Yu favors heritage brands like Chanel, Dior and Valentino, as well as small houses like Viktor & Rolf and Schiaparelli, which she buys for special occasions. "I've been collecting for a number of years now," she says. "My first purchase was a two-piece tulle dress from Giambattista Valli, which is surprisingly versatile.I have worn countless times the bodice with velvet pants or a Giorgio Armani black slim-fitting skirt. week was a pastel pink suit from Ralph & Russo. "

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For her, the draw of haute couture is the honor and privilege of working one-on-one with a designer to create something completely personalized, which crosses the border of the garment to the Collection art. "One of my most beloved dresses is a gorgeous Dior dress, a similar model to Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar dress of 2013. It took six months and five meetings with the workshop. For the preservation of his own collection, Yu would like to continue his work in posterity: "One day, I would like to open the first fashion museum in China, so I feel that every purchase I make is an investment that will become part of the history of fashion. "

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