As we know, in fashion, most of the clout goes to the creative or artistic director. The CD is seen as the mind behind the brand, and the one whose creative genius coaxes an idea and spate of references into a collection that will shape what we wear for the next few months. Unlike other creative endeavours, like editorial shoots, where a long list of creatives are listed in the credits, fashion houses are associated with a sole figure: the CD takes on the role as the face of the brand as well as the mind behind it.
That’s starting to change. Over the past few years, creative directors and fashion houses’ parent companies have made a conscious effort to draw attention to the couturiers behind the scenes. This is especially the case at couture, where artisans are hand-making masterpieces that are as much art as they are fashion.
In the leadup to couture SS25, Chanel utilized the fact that it’s currently between creative directors to highlight the craftspeople behind the collection via a film shared to social media from its Rue Cambon atelier. “We’re like an orchestra,” explained one of the couturiers, working in tandem with the rest of the Chanel couture team, who spend thousands of hours on each garment (often forgoing sleep), each of which requires between 25 and 30 measurements. The video offered a refreshing look at how couture is actually made, and brought the artisans out of the shadows.
That same season, Schiaparelli's Creative Director Daniel Roseberry dedicated the collection’s show notes to the women who put the collection together behind the scenes, “from client to seamstress to artisan and technician.” For his final couture show at Balenciaga, Demna ensured that all of his collaborators were listed on the soundtrack. Then, last week, Glenn Martens brought out his entire team of artisans for the final bow at his Margiela debut, reminding guests that although the onus in the press and online was on his interpretation of the brand, the final collection took a village.
And it's not just creative directors who are drawing attention to the courtiers behind the scenes: conglomerates, too, are taking it upon themselves to bring their craftspeople out from the shadows. Since 2011, LVMH, the luxury umbrella company behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Givenchy, among others, has been hosting ‘luxury open days,’ whereby visitors get to visit its design studios to witness the inner workings. Antoine Arnault, head of communications at LVMH, told Vogue Business that the tours were designed to celebrate the craftspeople who were “never really put forward” and “often a little caricatured.”
There’s also been an increase in brands acknowledging the input of artisans abroad. Although (at least in the industry) the role that Indian artisans play in the making of couture garments is generally widely known (90 per cent of all hand embroidery in Couture Week comes from India), Dior Couture’s SS22 presentation made a point of highlighting India’s cultural and artisanal contribution to couture, with artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri commissioning a 3,600-square-foot tapestry backdrop based on the work of two Indian artists, Madhvi and Manu Parekh.
So why is the shift happening now?
We’re living at a time when consumers are demanding more transparency about where their products come from, largely due to concerns surrounding sustainability and the treatment of garment workers. This has led to an increase in transparency in the supply chain, from garments’ country of origin to the fabrics utilized, to the people making the clothes. There’s also increasing advocacy for and by those in the creative fields, with people appreciating credit where credit’s due. Further, what makes couture stand out is the fact that it’s handmade (haute couture literally means ‘high sewing’), so showing consumers how much intricate work goes into each piece makes sense.
Tbh, we’re always here for those behind the scenes getting their flowers.
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