Thread count: Exactly what it takes to make Valentino couture

In an elegant and beautifully restored Parisian town house near the Arc de Triomphe on the last evening of the haute couture shows, clients gathered to see what magic Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli had created for Valentino's autumn collection.

Clients in gilded chairs lined the catwalk, everyone close enough to almost touch the graceful gowns as the models brushed past. Up close, you could really appreciate the exquisite workmanship that makes haute couture so special and why clients are so willing to buy.

Outside of the salon fitting room, no one discusses prices, but figures are believed to start at €50,000 (HK$512,000) and escalate depending on the number of hours it takes to make the clothes (bridal gowns can be in excess of €200,000). And business is thriving.

Chiuri and Piccioli, who have been at the helm of Valentino for five years, are magicians at rustling up enchanting collections out of organza, lace and cashmere.

Their idea of luxury focuses on craftsmanship that they have made modern and effortless even if, in reality, it takes hundreds of hours to create. They spotlight the age-old refined techniques of hand-beading and embroidery found at their Rome atelier, and bring a fresh attitude and youthful spirit to the house. They thoughtfully add descriptions to their show notes of the techniques that have gone into making a gown or a coat. Sometimes they list the hours of embroidery.

Look 22, a rosewood-coloured dress with an embroidered tapestry design in emeralds and crystals, took 1,200 hours to embroider. Look 39, a tweed cape trimmed in Breitschwanz fur and organza dress, both embroidered with silver thistles, required 3,000 metres of pure silver thread and 4,000 rose-shaped crystals. The pièce de résistance is a gown with a shoulder train stitched with 2,200 river pearls and gold thread; the look is sublime. Couture has evolved into a skilled art form.