They form a very minute, coterie of clients who think nothing of spending tens of thousands of pounds on one dress. Some sit conspicuously on the front row, others discreetly fly fitters across the world to their mansions; but while their extravagant indulgences certainly don't bankroll a fashion house's fortunes (that's where you and I, collecting perfumes and sunglasses, come in) it appears that the haute clientele hate nothing more than to see their purchase go mainstream.
"They really do not want to see their dresses in a magazine" Stefano Gabbana said of his clients at Dolce & Gabbana's first ever haute couture show in Sicily this week. He explained to The Telegraph why the strict prohibition of photography, Twitter and filming around the show "is not because of us, but the customers" - 80 or so of which had arrived by private jet from Russia, China, Qatar, Japan and the US.
The capricious nature of Gabbana's clients was echoed by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld only last week. "It's not a red-carpet opportunity," Lagerfeld told The New York Times of the label's Haute Couture offering, before revealing that clients have been known to cancel orders after seeing a celebrity step out in their chosen item.
READ: This Chanel coat took 3,000 hours to make
That said, it seems Lagerfeld doesn't share the same personal views as his customers. He recently claimed that "exclusivity is out of fashion" and allows Haute Couture samples to be lent to actresses and muses.
Perhaps the fact that these red carpet belles aren't expected to part with money to wear couture adds insult to injury to the super-rich, but God forbid the haute couture spectacle should turn into a salon-staged, client-only affair. Because while a tiny percentage can buy, the rest of us need to dream.
Via: Haute Couture: too exclusive for the red carpet?
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