A Look Into Luxury Fashion: The Three Fashion Houses That Started It All

In the fashion world, luxury fashion brands often take on another name and are referred to as fashion houses. The attachment of the term fashion house is not handed out lightly. Only brands with vibrant histories and significant impacts on the high fashion world are considered houses. It must have a unique and notable brand DNA to be considered a fashion house. Distinctive brand DNA  does not happen by accident. When craftsmanship, price, desirability, exclusivity, and heritage are all put together meaningfully, a brand might be regarded as a fashion house.

Today, we’ll be looking at three houses: the fashion houses of Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. 

Just as countries have had their systems of monarchy, so has the fashion industry. Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent are all critical members of this monarchy. Chanel is regarded as the queen, Louis Vuitton as the king, and Yves Saint Laurent as the Prince. In this particular monarchy, the queen holds precedence over the king. The house of Chanel is one of the most important, if not essential, houses to the history of the fashion industry. At Chanel, we see the rise of “haute couture” and the beginnings of the fashion industry as we know it today. 

Chanel - The Queen

Founded by Gabrielle Chanel, more commonly referred to as Coco Chanel, very few brands have had as significant an impact on the fashion industry as Chanel has. The brand is responsible for molding the timelessness of French chic and has created iconic styles such as the little black dress and the Chanel suit. 

Dior - The King

Similarly, Dior is regarded as the king for his revolutions and iconic contributions to the fashion industry. He is most recognized for creating the “new look” and working with the corset in women’s fashion. Without Dior, many silhouettes we see in women’s fashion would not have existed as they do today. 

Yves Saint Laurent - The Prince 

The title of Prince is rather fitting for Yves Saint Laurent, as he briefly worked under King Christian Dior and later formed his own house of fashion. Yves Saint Laurent pioneered a new movement in the fashion industry by integrating a masculine touch into women’s fashion. This can be seen in “Le Smoking,” a tuxedo suit created for female wearers. 

Without these three brands, the fashion industry would certainly not be where it is today. Their willingness to take risks, along with that of other brands not mentioned, has put them in such high regard today. 

Thanks for reading, and see you soon!

Sammie