The TRUE definition (and gross misuse) of "couture"

If you have any amateur sommelier knowledge, you're probably aware that the technical definition of "champagne" is reserved for sparkling wine SOLELY from the namesake province of France.  In many countries, it is actually illegal to label something "Champagne" unless it is produced there AND follows a set of strict procedural guidelines.

Call me a purist, but I'm okay with letting the French own the label for the art they mastered.  That brings us, of course, to "couture".  

(If you haven't noticed by now, I've just embraced the fact that my "blog voice" is a little ranty.  Ok?  Pour some bubbly and stay with me.)

You've probably seen the word "couture" used everywhere from corner tailors to designer bridal lines.  Somehow, in America, and specifically in the bridal fashion world, it came to be colloquially synonymous with "expensive and real fancy".  

The tragedy here is one of art appreciation, really, and knowing the painstaking PERFECTION required of atelier artisans.  The French government also owns the label "haute couture" (translating to "high fashion", indicating quality and innovation) and only certain firms, again required to follow the strictest standards, are permitted to use it.  

That's why we named our luxury experience "Haute Custom".   Is it the couture process?  Absolutely, from custom patterning through an intimate evolution of fittings.  But is it "couture"?  Not quite.  #themoreyouknow