Confused about ‘couture’?

Can bridal wear be passed off as couture is a question that plagues the fashion industry constantly. The debate intensifies as the couture week (commencing tomorrow) is slated to be followed by the bridal week.  Designers attempt to decipher the difference...
Fashion designer Krishna Mehta says that to be called a couturier, one has to adhere to umpteen numbers of specifications.

“An authentic couturier is one who practices only in Paris. So, technically, no one here is a couturier,” dismisses Krishna.  She further elaborates, “Couture basically means the best of cuts, drapes and fabrics used to make an outfit. Sadly, in India most lehenga designers price their outfit at Rs 30k and call themselves couturiers.”

Designer Monisha Jaising, who’s showing at the upcoming couture week, takes a different stance. “Couture is basically a made-to-measure garment, sewn to exquisite finesse and finish. It can be a bridal wear, evening wear or formal wear. It could even be a simple black blazer, but it should be impeccable with not a single thread hanging out of place even when you turn it inside out,” explains Monisha. 

Designer Rajat Tangri reasons, “Bridal wear in India is the only category that comes close to the techniques that’s usually implemented in couture —traditional exquisite pieces full of elaborate embellishments and detailling. And that could be the reason why you see a lot of bridals at a couture showing.”
However, couture or bridal, there's one designer that seems to meet the standards on either count. "Tarun Tahiliani is the only one whose work can be called couture. I've seen him take elaborate pains to perfect a garment," concedes Krishna.