Combien? The 35 Essential Looks for Any Couturier

Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale

Here at Vagabond we've had the S/S '12 runway shows on a constant loop and as we were studying the likes of Mc Queen, Christopher Kane etc. I noticed a concurrent pattern and it wasn't printed on any garment.

Each show seemed to feature 35 or more key looks and I was left wondering how and why each collection housed that many outfits based on that number.

Being the nerd that I am, I popped my head into a fashion history book (Yep, no Google or fancy apps for me!) learned that during the early days as Paris was establishing its legacy as a fashion capital that in order to gain admittance to the veritable designers guild, 'Le Chambre Syndicale de la Confection et de la Couture pour Dames et Fillettes,' a designer had to host a collection containing at least 35 pieces bi-annually and must also have employed fifteen workers or more.

Membership of La Chambre classified a label as a couture house and allowed for a designer to patent their creations.

Official members of La Chambre Syndicale include Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier.