Content or couture? Balenciaga’s 30-minute dress becomes the flashpoint of the season

Designed to be worn once, the swirling mass of black nylon seen on Demna’s most recent runway raises questions about what defines couture.
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Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

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Haute couture is the pinnacle of French fashion, where designers and their ateliers can spend upwards of hundreds of hours on a single piece. Only the highest quality of craftsmanship qualifies for the title, and it exists purely to serve an estimated 4,000 cumulative clients around the world.