Sometimes, the world of fashion seems to take place on a different planet altogether. It comes with its own dress code, etiquette and yes, vocabulary. You’re a fashion forward collegiette™ so chances are, you can walk the [model] walk, but if you want to talk the talk, you’ve got to know the language. Here are five terms you need to know to make it in the world of fashion!
Haute Couture: Haute couture — or high fashion — is the line of exclusive, made-to-order pieces for private clients. In order to be considered a couture house, designers must make custom-made items for private customers with one or two fittings, have an atelier (fashion house) in Paris that employs at least 15 people, and present a collection every season with 35 looks, both day and night. Today’s haute couture collections, which begin in the tens of thousands of dollars, are rarely sold but rather, are created to maintain the image and style of the fashion house.
PrĂŞt-Ă -Porter: Also known as ready-to-wear, prĂŞt-Ă -porter is, as the name suggests, a designer’s factory-made and sold as-is line — it’s what you see in stores, rather than what is privately commissioned. Ready-to-wear lines are what is shown during Fashion Weeks around the world during February (Fall/Winter of the following year) and September (Spring/Summer of the following year), which occur at separate times from haute couture fashion weeks.Â
Mood Board: A mood board is a poster of images, text, sketches, fabric swatches, and ideas that serves as a designer’s inspiration for an upcoming collection. They are used as a designer’s personal explorative use, a way of presenting a theme and image to clients, and to communicate ideas to the design team. Below is Tory Burch’s 2012 Resort collection mood board.
The September Issue: No, we don’t mean the Vogue documentary — though if you haven’t seen it, stop reading and watch it, now! The September issue of fashion magazines tends to be the largest issue of the year because it comes as fashion week begins and as the summer months end when consumers are out to buy fall boots, jackets, bags, and more — and for the fashion world, it’s the pre-holiday season, as well. This means pages and pages of advertisements, editorials, and fashion guides. As media consultant Peter Kreisky said, the September issue is a “directory of the fashion industry: nobody wants to be left out.”
Pop-Up Store: Pop-up stores have traditionally been used for seasonal sales — Halloween costumes, Fourth of July fireworks, holiday decorations, etc. — and are temporary retail stores that are in place for anything from a day to a year. In recent years, they’ve become a huge trend in the fashion industry as a way of keeping trends fresh in our minds. Dior just opened its first pop-up store in Miami with a run of two weeks (they’re closing shop Dec. 12, so if you’re in the area, be sure to visit soon!), and Target has run pop-up stores to promote its fashion collaborations. These pop-ups are meant to spread trends, garner additional business, and provide fashionistas greater access to the high fashion we seek.
Sources:
http://www.economist.com/node/1337876
http://www.fabsugar.com.au/Tory-Burchs-Resort-2012-Collection-We-Intervi…