U N I T 4 DESIGN IS FASHION Each day, we put on clothes that do more than just cover up our bodies. We choose clothes that represent our personalities, our moods, the times we live in, our ambitions and our desires. Fashion designers have made fashion a huge industry, and their work is as controversial and influential as traditional art. A. WHAT IS FASHION DESIGN? Fashion design is a form of art devoted to the creation of clothing and other lifestyle accessories which generally reflect the cultural and social influences of the time. Modern fashion design is divided into two categories: Haute Couture and Ready-to-wear. The Haute Couture collection is dedicated to private customers and has to fit them exactly. In order to qualify themselves as an Haute Couture House, a designer has to be part of the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture and show a new collection twice a year presenting a minimum of thirty-five different outfits each time. Ready-to-wear collections are more suitable for large productions. They are also divided into two categories: designer collections and confection collections. Designer collections have a higher quality, as well as a unique cut and design. Confection collections are the ones we see most commonly in our shops. The brands that produce these collections aim only to mass Giorgio Armani Haute Couture. production. Both haute-couture collections and designer collections are presented on international catwalks. The first fashion designer was Charles Frederick Worth, A ready-to-wear fashion shop. in the 19th century. Before he opened his fashion house in Paris, clothing was made by anonymous dressmakers. Worth was the first designer to really dictate to his customers what to wear rather than following their demands. He became famous not only in France but also abroad. He founded two fashion Maisons , one in Paris and one in London and he is considered the father of the Haute Couture. This was the beginning of the tradition to have a designer of a fashion house who represents the symbol of the brand. We usually identify France and Italy as fashion design s birthplaces even though recent American, Japanese, British and Spanish contributions are very important. GLOSSARY birthplace: the place where someone was born or something originated brand: a trade name that identifies a certain product made by a particular producer catwalk: long and narrow, usually 182 elevated platform that models walk along in a fashion show customer: a person who buys something devoted: dedicated to dictate: to tell someone what he must do dressmaker: someone who makes women s clothes, especially as a job Maison: French word for fashion house outfit: a set of clothes