Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/386731
"Today's younger client wants to wear couture. We're departing from the older mentality that it is art not meant to be worn."—pamela baxter 64 Wynn wynn Luxury Esplanade, says Hedy woodrow, Senior Vice President of retail at wynn, a couturier working with Givenchy creative director riccardo Tisci flew in from Paris to oversee fittings for Andrea wynn's gold lamé dress from the Spring 2014 runway collection. Her dress, shoes, and handbag were all made specifically for her. Providing a villa to accommodate fittings and act- ing as a liaison with the fashion houses is a service wynn provides for other couture clients staying at wynn, woodrow says, comparing it to services offered for guests who use the made-to-order bridal services of Alexander McQueen in the resort. wynn is no stranger to this service, though dis- cretion is key: woodrow notes that wynn does not disclose details of its guests who have made arrangements through the resort. And, notes Pamela Baxter, President of Christian Dior Couture, the house never deviates from procedure. "Clothes that are con- sidered haute couture by French law often require a thousand hours of work including elaborate embellishments and finishes, and they must be handmade in Paris. If a client were to come to the Dior wynn boutique and inquire about a haute couture look that they saw on the runway in Paris, the boutique could connect the client with the Dior Haute Couture team based in Paris." Historians date the birth of couture to the latter part of the 19th century, when Englishman Charles Frederick worth transformed the art of making clothes from craft to business, while also promot- ing it as high art. Prior to worth, women would go to dressmakers with their own fabric, but he made an investment in showing samples to high-end clients, including the wife of napoleon III, explains Beth Dincuff, professor of fashion history at Parsons The new School for Design in new york. Thus began a tradition of couture shows that operates in much the same way today, with designers presenting their looks at biannual fashion shows in Paris. They have given the fashion world everything from staple (Valentino's signature red) to spectacle (Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld turning the Grand Palais into a forest, real tree by real tree, for his Spring 2013 Haute Couture collection). The prominence of female designers such as Madame Grès, Elsa Schiaparelli, and perhaps the most well-known female designer of all time, Coco Chanel, marked the early 20th century. "Chanel changed the way people thought about clothing," Dincuff says. In 1926, Vogue pre- sciently published that her unadorned, straight-lined "little black dress" would "be the frock everyone in the world would wear." Though couture houses carry the names of their founders even after their retirement or death, new head designers have produced landmark moments both for the houses and for fashion overall. In 1983, for instance, Lagerfeld presented his first Chanel Haute Couture show and has since become a nearly unparalleled fashion icon, remaining surprising and inno- vative 30 years later. At the Chanel Couture show in January, models adorned in intricate ensembles including beaded gowns festooned with black and white feathers all wore sneakers. when new designers take over a couture house, they must strike a bal- ance between moving it forward and maintaining its history. Belgian designer raf Simons, who took the helm of Dior Couture in April 2012, put forth in his first couture show what the house called an updated version of femi- ninity. And the house of Dior's billowing skirt came full circle, as repeated references to The new Look's "bar" jacket—a tuxedo version cinched at the waist but pared down to meet the demands of a modern woman—opened the show. while historically, haute couture pieces might never have been worn, Baxter explains, "Today's younger client wants to wear couture. we're departing from the older mentality that it is art not meant to be worn." while fantastical gowns and settings remain a couture staple, recent collections from other houses have also included clothing that the lady who lunches might actually wear to lunch. Chanel's Fall 2014 collection includes an off-white, long-sleeved top with a center panel of signature black and white plaid and fringe, coupled with a knee-length skirt. "what makes the pairing of wynn and Chanel such a successful partnership," says Barbara Cirkva, Fashion Division President for Chanel, "is the passionate pursuit of beauty, excellence, and attention to detail that drives both the House of Chanel and Mr. wynn. The desire to give clients a truly unique and memorable experience is some- thing that resonates greatly with Chanel." Equally important to the couture houses is that their ready-to-wear boutiques reflect the luxury of their basis in couture. In fact, Baxter says, "The ready-to-wear client is demanding higher standards than ever," and Dior is producing very limited- edition pieces that approach the historic quality of haute couture, which may be purchased through the boutiques on the Esplanade. "There are today many ready-to-wear pieces that are technically almost couture quality," reflecting the craftsmanship and precise detail for which haute couture has been historically known, she says. And the ability to invest in the highest-end ready-to-wear from three fashion houses in close proximity to each other is a unique advantage to wynn guests. "Our clientele is truly international," says Givenchy CEO Sebastian Suhl. "Thus, Las Vegas as a premium global market was the logical choice for the launch of Givenchy retail in north America. wynn embodies exclusivity and a true luxury experience, and at wynn, Givenchy is showcased in an impeccable environment." n Chanel's fne jewelry boutique at Encore; the brand has another shop on the Wynn Esplanade.