Answers / Designers & houses
What is haute couture?
In brief
Haute couture is fashion made to measure and largely by hand in a house’s own ateliers. In France the name is legally protected: since 1945 only houses approved each year by a commission under the Ministry for Industry may use it. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode runs Paris couture week every January and July.
Key points
- “Haute couture” has been a legally registered designation in France since a decision of 23 January 1945, and houses must be approved every year.
- The FHCM says accredited houses meet criteria on craftsmanship, personalisation, collection schedules and the know-how of their ateliers.
- The official couture calendar labels each house as a Haute Couture Member, a Corresponding Member or a Guest House.
- Paris Haute Couture Week runs twice a year: the next weeks are 25–28 January 2027 and 5–8 July 2027.
Who decides which houses can call themselves haute couture?
In France the term is protected, not a label any brand can adopt. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode ↗ (FHCM) says that after a decision taken on 23 January 1945, “haute couture” became a legally registered designation, and only houses approved each year by a commission held under the Ministry for Industry may use it. AFP’s January 2026 report from couture week described the name as protected and regulated by the French industry ministry since 1945.
Inside the federation, the Haute Couture Committee brings together the accredited houses. It continues the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, founded in 1911, which built on a first chamber started by Charles Frederick Worth in 1868. The FHCM is also an events organisation: it coordinates both Paris Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week.
What are official, corresponding and guest members of haute couture?
The FHCM’s official calendar tags every house with one of three labels. A Haute Couture Member holds the accreditation. A Corresponding Member (sometimes called a correspondent member) is, in AFP’s description, a house whose work is considered close to haute couture but which is not based in France; AFP counted seven in January 2026, including Armani, Valentino, Elie Saab and Viktor & Rolf. A Guest House is invited by the federation to show that season.
AFP put the number of houses holding the accreditation at 13 in January 2026 and noted that it has to be renewed. Guest houses change from season to season, so the July 2026 couture week and the FHCM’s own calendar are the places to check who showed.
What makes haute couture different from ready-to-wear?
Couture is made for one client’s measurements rather than in standard sizes. Summarising the federation’s criteria in January 2026, AFP said designs must be original, made to measure and by hand, and created by the house’s permanent artistic director in workshops based in France. A house needs at least 20 employees and two ateliers: a tailleur workshop for structured tailoring and a flou workshop for soft, fluid pieces.
Ready-to-wear, by contrast, is produced in standard sizes and shown on the main fashion-week calendars. Our haute couture vs ready-to-wear comparison sets the two side by side, and the glossary entry gives the short definition.
When is Paris Haute Couture Week?
Twice a year: in January for Spring/Summer and in July for Autumn/Winter. The Spring/Summer 2026 shows ran from Monday 26 to Thursday 29 January 2026, and the FHCM’s Autumn/Winter 2026-2027 calendar ran from 6 to 9 July 2026.
The FHCM has set Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January 2027 for Haute Couture Week Spring/Summer 2027, and Monday 5 to Thursday 8 July 2027 for Autumn/Winter 2027-2028. The federation publishes the list of houses closer to each season.
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Quick answers
Related questions
Is haute couture only made in Paris?
- The protected designation is French, and AFP reported in January 2026 that accredited houses must design and make their pieces in workshops based in France. Houses based elsewhere can show on the Paris couture calendar as Corresponding Members, which AFP describes as houses whose work is considered close to haute couture.
How many haute couture houses are there?
- AFP counted 13 houses holding the official haute couture accreditation in January 2026, plus seven Corresponding Members based outside France and a changing group of guest houses each season. Accreditation is reviewed every year, so the number can change.
When is the next haute couture week?
- Haute Couture Week Spring/Summer 2027 runs from Monday 25 to Thursday 28 January 2027 in Paris, according to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The Autumn/Winter 2027-2028 couture week follows from 5 to 8 July 2027.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- FHCM — Our history (the 1945 haute couture designation) checked 22 October 2026
- FHCM — The Federation and its Haute Couture Committee checked 22 October 2026
- FHCM — Haute Couture Week official calendar, Fall/Winter 2026-2027 checked 22 October 2026
- FHCM — Haute Couture Week, Fall/Winter 2026-2027 (6–9 July 2026) checked 22 October 2026
- FHCM — Upcoming seasons and previous editions checked 22 October 2026
- AFP via eNCA — Haute Couture Week begins in Paris (26 January 2026) checked 22 October 2026
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Designers & houses