200 Hours Later...The Incredible Journey Of This Dior Couture Dress

By Connie Wang

“Couture” is a magic word. It conjures thoughts of impeccable craftsmanship, visionary design, and legendary fashion moments. But, most of us don’t encounter haute couture very often, unless we’re looking at a celebrity on the red carpet, a model on a catwalk, or a mannequin in a museum case.

We wanted to get closer to couture — and to get you closer to couture — so we partnered with the legendary fashion publisher Visionaire to create this video, which tells the story of one dress from birth to runway. It’s a unique look inside the Dior atelier, where the team has been hard at work bringing creative director Raf Simons’ ideas to life. While an individual couture garment can take half a year to produce, here you will see the story of one dress (“Look #53,” in fashion-speak) come together in just a few minutes — from the first muslin pattern to the final style model Kinga Rajzak wore during yesterday’s haute couture show.

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It’s an incredible revelation, and when you discover what goes into these garments, the crazy prices on couture start to seem at least a little less crazy. While Look #53 is the star of the show, the video gives us the chance to reconnect with the rarely credited artisans and seamstresses we saw in Dior and I, as well as a cameo from Simons himself. Think of this as a mini-trip to Paris or a crash course into fashion’s highest form; either way, enjoy your couture, concentrated.

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF DIOR

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