Maison Michel Paris

Lace, wide brim Hat, by special order Maison Michel Paris Couture (photo from Maison Michel)

With no time to buy a new frock, one looks for the right accessory to enhance that dress for the New Years Eve Party. One of the best accessories is a hat from master milliner Maison Michel. In 1936, Hat maker Auguste Michel found his company on rue Saint Anne in Paris, giving birth to a generation of haute couture milliners. In 1996, on a mission to save the heritage of struggling haute couture ateliers, Chanel took over the house for its survival in the modern world. Maison Michel began making hats for couture houses such as Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Christian Lacroix, in 1980. Not until 2006, the house launches its own ready-to-wear collection, under the direction of Laetitia Crahay, who was head accessories and jewelry designer at Chanel. Maison Michel Paris is now a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, presenting their collections during Paris Couture fashion week.

The house now offers a made-to-measure service of one-of-a-kind Hats, for both men and women. The atelier creates classic fedoras, to unique beaded head bands. One can select a design from their seasonal collection, which is made-to-order, and hand made by the Paris atelier. A hat can take three to four weeks for a haute couture design and can cost up to $4,300.00, depending on the complexity of the design and its material. Maison Michel ready-to-wear is available at netaporter.com and it's huate couture line is available by appointment only at Maison Michel showroom on rue Sainte Anne,Paris (www.michel-paris.com).

Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Ligne 0 Collection Couture

Vintage buttons are embroidered on a silk chiffon to create a "Mouth"motif; 25 Hours of Hand work, Limited Edition Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Ligne "0" Collection Couture, $6,595.00 at Yoox.com.

Early December, Martin Margiela, one of the most celebrated avant-garde designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, announced he was to leave his Paris-based label. The mysterious Margiela has been an influence in avant garde fashion for the past 20 years, and will not name a successor to replace his post. "We want to stay avant-garde, and provocative, but without a new creative director," Giovanni Pungetti, chief executive officer of Maison Martin Margiela, told WWD, earlier this month. The house will continue to show the Artisanal Line ( Labeled "0" for their Haute Couture collection) during Paris Couture Fashion week, on January 26, 2010 , without Margiela.

The Artisanal Line is the house's expression of haute Couture since 1989, creating garments by hand, in their atelier, using recycle items such as old records and shoe strings. Each garment is reworked by hand using haute couture techniques, requiring days of work, resulting in unique, extremely limited, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Most pieces do not require fittings, and some are available in editions of 5, but the house continues to provide this line as their haute couture service, and are official corresponding members of the CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA HAUTE COUTURE (which also include Giorgio Armani Prive, Elie Saab, and Valentino). Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Collection Ligne "0" is now available to order at Yoox.com. (It was previously sold exclusively at Margiela by Special order in NY and Paris.)

This video shows the Paris atelier of Maison Martin Margiela creating "Artisanal couture" pieces by hand using recycled objects, such as bicycle reflectors (Video by Yoox.com).

Master the Art of Shopping: 1st Dibs.com

Organza and Lace dress, Chanel Haute Couture, 1980's from Rare Vintage at 1stdibs.com

Founded in 2001, 1stDibs.com has become the online destination for rare antiquities, modern design, Haute Couture, and vintage designer garments. For those looking for nothing but the best, 1stdibs.com offers that and more. This site has quickly became the best place to buy vintage designer pieces and Haute couture with out leaving your home. 1stdibs has created a connection with online shoppers and expert dealers of vintage designer garments. Dealers such as Resurrection, The Way We Wore, The Paper Bag Princess, Lynn Ban, Leslie Chin, and Rare Vintage have created stores with in the site, each offering unique couture from 1920's-2000's, and from designers such as Madame Gres to Isaac Mizrahi. Collectors can find museum quality, 1950's Dior Haute Couture cocktail dresses, Halston's beaded sheaths, and Christian lacroix's haute couture poof skirts from early in his career. Recently, fine costume jewelry and accessories have been added to to site. The Vintage and Haute Couture inventory is updated weekly with new finds(updated every Wednesday), with photographs of each garment and detailed descriptions. If you are looking for some thing rare and different, shop at www.1stdibs.com.

Intro To Master the Art of Style

Master The Art of Style is not a how to journal, but a way to guide the readers to the best of the best that fashion has to offer. This blog will feature stories from the best Haute Couture houses in NYC and Paris to individuals that make artisan leather goods. It will cover great shopping and go behind the doors of great style makers. Master the Art of style will be an outlet to every thing rare, unique, and beautiful in the world of fashion.