Fashion Language: Demystifying the World of Fashion Jargon
By Gordon Powers ‘23
In a recent meeting of Bolt editors, stylists, photographers, and regular contributors we discussed the most recent trends and news coming out of the largest fashion houses in Europe for the upcoming seasons. Surrounded by industry-specific jargon, I found myself baffled trying to remember the difference between high fashion, luxury, premium, and many other parts of the industry. For years now, clothing and jewelry have been my most powerful form of visual expression, but one of the biggest barriers to understanding how you can use your personal style to express yourself is the lexiconical chaos of the fashion world that makes it difficult to understand. Therefore, I set out to learn more about the different parts of the fashion industry, and how brands chart their own path within their niche section of fashion.
Luxury: Luxury fashion goods have a long history of specific key marketing techniques and mischaracterization by the media and consumers. The key characteristics of luxury brands stem from their goal to provide a product rooted in authenticity, delicate curation, and singularity in their presentation. The goal of the designers for these luxury brands is to create a good that is "incomparable" and remains popular decades later, like the Hermès Birkin or Chanel N°5 fragrance. These products pop up in television shows, movies, books, and have become the standard for luxury. These brands might produce some premium or seasonal products, but for the most part, their identity lingers through the permanence of a select few goods that are recognized worldwide. A famed marketing strategy from the 1970s, dubbed "The Luxury Strategy", even details the ways in which luxury brands cement their identity around the world through key products. Luxury brands must rely on "time, heritage, craftsmanship, handmade products, small series ranges, and prestigious clients" with a close relationship with the arts. Even in a time when e-commerce has taken over the sales of many large brands, luxury brands stay away from this format, with a focus on creating a product that is high in price, in demand, and in exclusivity, with little marketing ploys to increase demand. Instead, the brand must position itself in such a way that the consumer is always willing to pay more and always wants more from that one product.
Luxury brands are just as concerned with selling their products as they are with curating an exclusive and in-demand image of their brand. Some of the most iconic luxury products easily conjure the names of large fashion houses.
Premium: Amherst students wear many brands that rely on premium branding. Shops such as Adidas, Patagonia, Vineyard Vines, and more offer a high-quality good that is worth the price you are paying. These products do not rely on uniqueness or positioning such as luxury goods, but instead on the quantity and quality of their features that make it a sought-after product. Mass production is another factor of these products, as they do not consider themselves exclusive if you have the money to pay for them. Advertising is a huge part of selling these products, with a focus on the features you are paying for, and on the creation of a more accessible and rational product for everyday wear.
Premium brands like Patagonia emphasize an experience with a high-quality product geared towards a certain demographic. Some brands of this sector, like Patagonia, push for life-long use of their products filled with many features and of the best quality. Courtesy of The Medium.
Couture & Haute Couture (High Fashion): Goods that are made one-of-a-kind for a specific client in mind find themselves in the "couture" section of fashion. These goods might come out of large luxury houses in Europe, such as Chanel (the largest couture house in the world), but are more than not catered towards their clients for which they were made. In fact, couture shows often focus on the consumer who the good was made for, with less attention paid to the press or publications charting the rise of a new product. Within couture lies the designation "haute couture." La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, also known as la Fédération Française de la Couture within the French government regulates the use of this term. Since 1945, the body has put out rules that allow certain brands to be designated providers of haute couture. To be considered as such, the designer must have an atelier within Paris with fifteen employees to twenty employees working full-time and more than 35 looks at biannual shows. There are specific divisions within these ateliers to produce exact and handmade work for the client, and the minuteness of the production methods relies on petits mains overseen by a premiere. Because of the use of these garments for singular production for clients, it can be nearly impossible for couture to turn a profit.
Chanel couture, modeled by Lily Rose-Depp in 2017. Couture and/or haute couture focuses on providing a hand-made, singular product associated with important clients, models, and celebrities. Courtesy of New York Times.
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