The fashion show

Known as the founder of haute couture, the English dressmaker, Charles

Frederick Worth (182695) is also credited with 'inventing' the fashion show
where he would present his clientele with collections of his designs, four
times a year. This revolutionised the dressmaking process as previously,
customers had ordered their own bespoke designs.

Fashion shows displaying the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections

became the culmination of a couture houses activity. Showing new designs
followed fixed laws of precedence, beginning with suits and ending with
evening wear. Day outfits included casual ensembles (ensembles simples),
morning suits (tailleurs matin), casual afternoon suits (robes daprs-midi
simples) and sophisticated dress suits (tailleurs habills).
Erdem
Fashion in Motion: Erdem Moralioglu, 2009. Victoria and Albert Museum,
London
Daywear was followed by formal afternoon dresses (robes aprs-midi
habilles), cocktail dresses (robes de cocktail), semi-evening (robes demisoir) and short evening dresses (robes du soir courtes). These distinctions
became simpler as the decade progressed and social codes began to break
down.
The fashion show culminated with evening dresses (robes du soir), dance
dresses (robes danser), long evening dresses (robes du soir longues), grand
evening dresses (robes grand soir) and spectacular gala dresses (robe de
gala). Traditionally, the end of the collection was marked by the wedding
gown (robe de marie). Although these days a designer does not have to
show his collection in a particular order, the wedding dress is still almost
always the final, dramatic climax of a catwalk show.
Roland 2010em4198
Fashion in Motion: Stphane Rolland, 2010. Victoria and Albert Museum,
London
Entry to an haute couture collection was strictly controlled. At houses such as
Dior and Balenciaga, the collections were presented first to the fashion press,
then to commercial buyers from North America, then buyers from Europe,
and then, a month later, to private clients. Finally, they were shown to the
interested public on a daily basis for many months. Each garment was made
specifically for the house model who wore it, so that it fitted perfectly and

looked its best.

Diors collections took place in a perfumed, crowded grand salon and were
often attended by celebrities and film stars. Balenciagas sometimes lasted
two hours and were conducted in complete silence, apart from the number of
each design being called out.
Every design was photographed and registered by name or number.
However, despite a law passed in 1952 stipulating a couture collection was
protected by copyright for one season, couturiers filed dozens of lawsuits a
year in an attempt to prevent illegal copying. Anyone caught sketching during
a collection was asked to leave but some professional copyists were able to
memorise the garments by eye.
Sibling 2014hh4916
Fashion in Motion: SIBLING, 2014. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Fashion shows at the V&A
The V&As Fashion in Motion series is a programme of spectacular live
catwalk events featuring some of the greatest international fashion designers
of our time in the stunning surrounds of the Museum.
Pugh 2007bn4525
Fashion in Motion: Gareth Pugh, 2007. Victoria and Albert Museum, London