from silver trays, a kind of apology for
the extreme late July heat and the eh•
sence of airconditioning, a French
tradition
The seats have been placed around
the burlap , covered runway with great
precision, leaving not a molecule of
space to spare Each of the red , CUSh ,
ioned chairs hears the special name
tag of the appointed (lutist Arid it is oh
vious that designer and staff have in
vested considerable time in assigning
these places And everyone looks
Maaaaaaaavelousl Yes, there is no
business like show business
Eventually, the lights fade, the Wiwi
ly syncopated heat of The Heat is On"
flares up There is a sudden hush, then
LIGHTS, and the first three models step
out Greeted by hundreds of flashing

shutters, enter the world's most expen

sive clothes
Paris couture IS famoiy, for a total
feeling Of luxury, exprof,f;ed through
the most beautiful fabrics, details and
embroidery as well as the peerless
technique used to put it all together A
blouse or a simple dress might sell for
$2,500, an embroidered ballgown or
fur can run close tO $50,000 Each gar
merit made for Ow:, exceedingly small
there are only an estimated
market
2,000 couture customers in the world

is a 1 ;rnall miracle of handiwork, 0/
portly made and molded to fit the
owrior !, body like a second skin
itie Inside 11,101111g of a couture gar

-

ment is at least as impeccable as the

outside In fact. examining the reverse
side helps explain thin reason for sijoli
a belly price tag The seams are 111\111

Ole the materials used for lining are as
su mptuous as the eAter1141 fabric, and

everything is faced. interlined and

finished to perfection Couture gar
merits, made to the precise measure
merits of the wearer. are constructed
of the faleSt often custom designed
that cat] easily Cost hundreds of

dollars, per yard And a sirfyie article 01
clothing may represen t hundreds ()I
hour', of nand labor Yet. like all true,
Work!, of art the finished product ap

pears deceptively simple
1 his Was especially true of Ole pared

down fall/Amite( haute couture collet.
tions which generally lacked the frill t,
and the Irou Iron associated

clothing ul Wit:, quality As NeW YOlk
E3e« iadine Morn`,
II11105 1145111On WI

1 he I Note couture ollerincjt,

season are Meant to be WOf n 110 1
Ldlliilluntiori to II iiill1Wlyet; 45111e} eau!
1,,v,rr/et1 down U in r unway
coutufe it, coil
A 1111W vitality in II

Il lib

ny tuns the iiicreabed bOnfibolit,t'
(lesiylierb buistuied by Ob4Iligti(Aiiii
iptoved s4itis ✓ vo Ow past Inv,

pall 10 11 Jr.: rirr, ✓
lb (We
u,J I iljel of 414411111i Ai
4110 alc
11,r!
t,treliqlii of 1102
wia;11 Ingo
)41.11L: roO4111Jr14‘.1

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Arpoll row,

choneo 0101101N tW9-
ploo blo91( dr000 ilk
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