haute couture

noun

haute cou·​ture ˌōt-ku̇-ˈtu̇r 

: the houses or designers that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions

also : the fashions created

Examples of haute couture in a Sentence

a fashion designer who's a renowned master of haute couture

Recent Examples on the Web

On January 14, Hadid also wore red for The Beauty’s New York City premiere—a look from Schiaparelli’s fall 2025 haute couture collection—but, thankfully, this time wasn’t covered in stage blood. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 Jan. 2026

For the occasion, Hadid wore a look from Schiaparelli's Fall/Winter haute couture 2025-2026 collection. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

Since founding his maison in 2001, Høvring’s designs have catered to aesthetic timelessness, with handmade haute couture pieces fit for a fairy tale. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026

Steele finds an earlier example of this convergence in the French designer Sonia Rykiel, whose elegant knitwear ensembles of the seventies became emblematic of a turn from haute couture to ready-to-wear. —Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, high sewing

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haute couture

• candidature
• miniature
• photogravure
• rotogravure
• abjure
• adjure
• allure
• assure
• brochure
• cocksure
• coiffure
• contour