Guest post: What’s So Hot About Haute?

Haute is a French word, originally describing something prestigious or of the high-class. Ironically, through the ages, the idea of passion coming before popularity or prestige remains the same, yet that modest dedication grew into a movement affecting fashion, culture, sports, philosophy, and more.

Today’s ‘streetwear’ culture is a derivative of haute fashion and culture like some debate modern hip-hop is similar to sentiments of 70’s punk. Regardless of one’s preferred music or style of clothing, haute is ‘hot’ by today’s standards.

Haute Couture

‘High dressmaking’ or ‘sewing’ originated in mid-19^th century France. The haute couture process involved the finest garments all dealt by hand, with the most-experienced tailor or dressmaker attending to each stroke. Final products were respected for being fashionable yet regarded as ‘art.’

Through time, the process aligned with ‘tailored’ service or having a parcel of clothing made exclusively for one’s measurements alone. Today’s prestigious fashions come from unlikely sources like rappers and artists of other mediums. ‘Streetwear’ is a derivative of haute sentiments much like ‘metal’ came from ‘rock and roll’ music. See some examples of modern-day streetwear brands at the Black Sheep Store.

Shawn Stussy

Shawn Stussy issued clothes and surfboards in the west coast of America in the early 80s. Shawn’s passion resembled that of the Parisian dressmakers, yet he wanted his clothes handled by all classes of people, especially the modest peoples of his native surf culture.

Stussy, the fashion label, became world renowned by the mid 90s, with DJs, rappers, skaters, punks, etc. embracing the brand. In a ‘’92 interview, Shawn is noted as admitting how people call his clothes ‘street, urban or surf,’ quipping that he doesn’t name it or name it on purpose.

3D Printing

3D printers are wonders of modern technology but serve as useful metaphors for the street movement and its relation (and opposition) to haute couture. Preteens have begun accessorizing phones and bodies with colored tapes, glittered pens and other types of fused mediums of expression.

3D printers, enabling the production of jewelry and accessories, could fuel additional tangents of expression, implemented into fashion. Streetwear, hard to define due to an amalgam of styles, advocates, and contributors is much like the metal and plastic alloys used to produce 3D productions.

X-Pression

One of the plight’s of Generation X was a need for expression. Just as Generation X found alternative ways of definition felt through art (graffiti), music (alternative), sports (extreme sports) and beyond, the generation after looks to be unique too.

Modern distinction, born out earlier generations’ needs for the same creates a unique street culture made up of an amalgam of eras, styles, philosophies, and historical occurrences. Haute is hot; because, like the sentiment of a tailored fit, it’s about quality of service and product, not class or dollars.

Transcending Attitude

Unlike Polo, Lamborghini, Rolex, etc, street brands resemble the prestige of traditional haute sentiments yet intended for people of all income levels. Modern ‘haute’ transcends money, bringing fashion to a place of attitude.

Modern-day street brands sell to snowboarders, graffiti artists, math-letes, soccer moms, and retired real estate brokers; the poster boy or girl for modern haute can be any person. It’s not how you look but how you feel.

Paul Harrison enjoys keeping up with the latest styles in streetwear. His articles mainly appear on fashion and lifestyle blogs.