COUTURE AND ST LAURENT

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32689, 19 August 1971, Page 7

COUTURE AND ST LAURENT

(By PEGGY MASSIN. N.Z.P.A.-Reuter) PARIS.

Yves St Laurent’s decision to close his couture business in favour of ready-to-wear will not affect other important Paris fashion houses, according to spokesmen for Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Chanel, and Pierre Cardin.

St Laurent is not abandon- ( ing couture entirely. He will ‘ present a small collection of 40 models twice a year to ( private clients. But the press t will be barred from every-1 thing except his ready-to-wear s presentations in October and 1 April. t Many journalists who ? helped to build St Laurent’s > reputation over the years are hurt by his press veto, but I the designer is still such big ‘ news that his future presen- f tations will undoubtedly be t reported second-hand after in- I terviews with private clients, t The press used to get 1 “black market” reports on J Givenchy and Balenciaga 10 years ago when they refused 1 to show to the press until one < month after buyers and priv-« ate clients had seen their col- I lections. '■

Jacques Rouet, director of Maison Dior, where St Laurent was employed as head designed until he opened his own house in January, 1962, said: “Every Paris couture house faces different problems. I have enormous respect for St Laurent’s talent. He is free to create and com-

mercialise as he sees fit, and this decision concerns him personally.” Maison Dior will continue its couture work' and there is no question at this time of changing dates to coincide with the ready-to-wear showings. Madame Andre de Vilrnorin, sales directress at Dior, reports that the house had the best buying season in the last four years, and that many United States stores and manufacturers sent buyers to Paris at the last minute after reading press reviews. Dior can expect a lucrative season with private clients when they return to Paps after the summer holidays and begin placing orders. Seventy per cent of the couture turnover at Dior is with its private clientele (including the Empress of Iran, whose saleswoman reveals that the Empress always orders at least 10 or 12 models a season). The professional buyers who take the other 30 per cent of Dior clothes pay far higher prices than private clients for the right to reproduce the models. Each Collection is estimated to cost about $223,200 —not counting furs. Like Mr Rouet, Hubert de

Givenchy acknowledges that each couture house has different objectives. His private clientele also outranks professional buying though one suit—with long, body-conscious jacket, flared skirt, and matching stole in reversible woollen—has sold an unprecedented 40 times to separate international buyers in the last two weeks. “St Laurent can do as he pleases,” says de Givenchy, “but my couture clientele is far more important than ready-to-wear or professional buying, and I shall continue to create a high fashion collection every January and July.” Madame de Clermont-Ton-nerre, the spokeswoman for Chanel, said the late designer’s business consisted of 80 per cent private clients and 20 per cent professionals, and

was the only leading house which did not make ready-to-wear clothes. After Chanel’s death last January, private clients doubled the usual number of orders, realising that it was the last collection designed by the famed couturier. The Chanel workrooms

were so crowded that many orders could not be delivered for four months. Pierre Cardin, the only self-financed couturier in Paris, also acknowledged that couture attracted tremendous publicity and served as a pilot operation to promote world-wide sales of perfume, accessories, and ready-to-wear clothes. “Couture is indispensable to my business,” said Cardin, although he is still pondering his old idea of presenting just one enormous couture collection each year instead of the present system of twice-yearly showings in January and July.