XXI Century Sewing

At the beginning it was the tailors and the seamstress... Professionals traditionally well known since the Middle Age, they didn't create "fashion", in the contemporary sense of expression. They only executed the clients orders. In 1857, the English Charles Frederic Worth opened the first maison, in Paris. The empress Eugênia's official designer and from other noble bodies from Europe, inaugurated the "Grand Couturier" profession. In other words, invented the right for imposing elegance for the rest of the world. During all the century, the "Haute Couture" was the main responsible for the great "fashion desires", till the 50's and 60's when mass production was consolidated and inverted the trend referential for the youth and street culture.

Tom Ford and his dog John in i-D magazine (July/2001). Terry Richardson's photo

Almost 150 years after Worth, who is on the cover of the magazine i-D of July, is Tom Ford, Gucci's creation director and responsible for the renew of the name in the 90's. - with the right for a sales burst. The report-interview with "Mr. Big" from the brand's image starts like this: "Mr. Ford knows what the women desire". Yes. It is impossible not to think of Gucci when examining some of the great fashion phenomenon of the last years.

As Ford says, at the moment, he is more interested in Haute Couture instead of fashion which comes from the street. When referring to Gucci's group last "acquisitions" - Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, affirm: "the globalisation is unavoidable in all fields. 50 years more and we will be a unique culture. Therefore, I see how important is Stella developing Stella, McQueen signing McQueen and their talents and creativity being extremely stimulated. I have been thinking about Haute Couture as never before".

Rumours aren't missing: the great stroke will be the McQueen's maison. Tom Ford doesn't give a shot in the dark. The Haute Couture - and also his working logic - is regaining intensively the market and the press by several ways, very different from the last century. After being given as "dead" concerning the huge power of the prêt-à-porter industry... In name of the individualism, it is back glorious and beautiful. In the hands of huge financial groups it represents great part of the fashion power. In the hands of talents like John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier is a laboratory of creativity and rebellion.

It speculates about a certain "luxury democratisation". It is said in an "answer to fashion mass communication and globalisation". The subject is less its high cost and more the power of being exclusive, personalised, tailor-made and hand-made. The Haute Couture's nature extremely individualist has become an object of desire: a desire of "humanity and differentiation" in clothes. Pieces signed or full of famous logo brands are quickly copied, the information goes round every day faster and it isn't just the check book which guarantees the exclusive next party look.

The dispute for the idea of an unique piece brought the racing behind the vintage* . The philosophy which valorises the "special aged" is more than the gold seeking in drift stores or in flea markets. Includes auctions of signed pieces, has dressed stars and celebrities like Julia Roberts in the Oscar/2001 and yet produces the Burberry's attitude of recovering trench coats as true relics. The current fever has made several big magazines - like the super fashion Top Shop - enter in competition with drift stores: The store created spaces for second hand clothes, chosen by finger and proudly labelled: "unique piece".

Fashion editorials - from Pop Magazine to English Vogue - blend everything with second hand pieces from Portobello Rd, and Camden Town.

The wave in an article of the English magazine Nova . Ian Nolan's photo.

Besides that, the retaken of the punk wave as trend, privileged interference like a cut here, a rip there, pins over there, yonder many hand written words. Exclusive clothes home made . Even Madonna has adopted . In a Londoner phase, pinned and invented her own series of t-shirts.

One more market evidence? Other stands which populate magazines - Selfridges also made - are the customise services or of clothes personalising. Young designers attend clients and cut, paint and embroider to give that special and differentiated touch.. This interest has opened a new- and old... - work market for young professionals: The performance in their own ateliers. For beyond the idea the personal stylist (who assembles wardrobes and directs styles), now it is the designer himself, working on, designing and executing unique pieces and creating exclusive prints and accessories.

Nina Morris working. Julia Fullerton-Batten's photo, published by Reality Magazine (insert of the newspaper The Independent. May/2001)

"My clients feel special", affirms Nina Morris in her atelier in Earls Court Square, London. "I could buy wherever I want. But, spend much money and meet someone wearing the same dress, isn't so good. I've already passed the phase of big brands. To be attended by someone like Nina is a guarantee of being fabulous for the next party" says Blanca Brillembourg, one of her best clients.

Like Morris, Jessica Odgen, Jasper Conran, Shelley Fox among other designers and tailors compose recent lists of indication from Time Out and from Reality Magazine, the insert of the newspaper The Independent. From Worth's maison to McQueen's maison, passing - who would say! - through the second hand stores ... New sewing leads the fashion of the XXI century.

* English term, initially used to denote special wine harvest. In the XX century it was adopted as a sign of stile in old fashion pieces, full of histories from the past.