What Is High Fashion?

Would you wear the clothes on this page to hang out with your friends? Or to a costume party? These garments are for the runway, not ordinary life—and they have more in common with sculptural art than with the clothes you’d buy in a store.

The garments featured here are examples of high fashion. Much like visual artists, the world’s leading fashion designers make garments to visually express ideas. Read on to learn what makes a design high fashion.

Would you wear the clothes on this page to see your friends? These designs aren’t for ordinary life. They are more like art than clothes in the store.

These garments are examples of high fashion. Fashion designers make high fashion to express ideas. Then models wear them on the runway. Read on to learn more about high fashion.

High-fashion designers know how to make bold visual statements. This example is from Dutch fashion house Viktor&Rolf’s spring/summer 2019 show, titled Fashion Statements. The designers play with irony to send a message. Billowing layers of pink tulle—a type of light, sheer fabric—nearly swallow the model wearing the dress. An ironic message in ornate text adorns the garment. What do you think this look says about the fashion industry?

High-fashion designers make big impressions. Designers at Dutch fashion house Viktor&Rolf made the dress above for a 2019 show called Fashion Statements. The puffy dress nearly swallows the model wearing it! The message on the dress says “less is more.” What do you think the look says about high fashion?

This garment was featured in British designer Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2012 runway show. In runway shows, designers present innovative looks. “Fashion is about fantasy,” McQueen once said.

Designers like Sarah Burton, who designed the example above for the McQueen label, select their materials and assemble garments with care. They might work with expensive materials, common ones, or both. The dress above includes silk, metal, and glass. Light reflects off the metal and glass, creating a striking shimmering effect. High fashion requires expert craftsmanship by designers who understand how materials can help convey ideas.

Alexander McQueen is one of the most famous fashion designers. This dress was in his spring/summer 2012 runway show. In runway shows, designers present their newest looks. Sarah Burton made the example above for McQueen. Designers like her select materials and craft garments carefully. They might use expensive materials or common ones. It takes expert craftsmanship to express ideas with materials. This dress includes silk, metal, and glass. The garment shimmers in the light.

The puffer coat has been a reliable cold-weather staple for decades—you may have one in your closet right now. In his fall 2021 show, American designer Marc Jacobs highlighted the relationship between streetwear and high fashion. He transforms the humble puffer coat into an exaggerated version of itself. Jacobs demonstrates that no matter how dramatic something looks on a model, it may have connections to an article of clothing on a rack near you.

People have worn puffer coats in cold weather for decades. You might even have one in your closet. In his fall 2021 show, American designer Marc Jacobs created an exaggerated puffer coat. It’s larger than a normal puffer coat. It shows that high fashion and regular clothes can be linked. Jacobs’s design is dramatic—but it has connections to clothes on a rack near you.

Outrageous fashion isn’t new. This style of gown, called a mantua, became popular in the English court in the late 1600s. The one shown here was made between 1755 and 1760. The wearer would have had to turn sideways to fit through doors! Want to see more wild fashion designs from history?

Fashion that gets attention isn’t new. This style of gown is called a mantua. It became popular in the English court in the late 1600s. The person who wore it would have had to turn sideways to fit through doorways!