For those of you who may feel a little puzzled by the terminology, let me briefly explain. Couture is a French word which basically means “made to measure”. The term “Haute Couture” refers to High Fashion, or the best work that house can produce, and strictly speaking is an exclusive title owned by the long-standing, well established couture houses in Paris and Milan, who have been creating extravagant hand-made pieces with extraordinary price tags for decades. These couture houses are extremely well respected and trusted for inventing new looks and setting trends that are sometimes not apparent for two or three seasons. We don’t have Haute Couture here in Australia, but we do have a growing number of local couturiers who cater for a diverse range of different tastes, styles and budgets.