As war rages, illness swirls and economies falter, the idea of celebrities and the ultra-rich flocking to Paris this week to see the bi-annual couture showcase and its dresses with £250,000 price tags may have left some feeling uneasy.
It’s the business of made-to-order for the one per cent, but in this hour of uncertainty, couture designers had a decision to make: deliver transportive creations designed for escapism; or move, as Dior and Chanel did, to an understated – but still eye-wateringly expensive – wearable wardrobe for the super-rich. “Couture has always been an escape,” says Zuhair Murad, a die-hard romantic who stuck to fairytale gowns for another season. “The current climate has set some challenges but has also enhanced my appreciation to beauty and art.”
