Bling Empire’s Christine Chiu, Sheikha Moza and Queen Rania wear haute couture – who else is part of this exclusive club?
- Only a handful of fashion labels make haute couture – Chanel, Dior and Valentino among them
- Prices for haute couture garments, which are handmade in Paris, range from about US$10,000 to up to US$300,000
In the Netflix reality show Bling Empire, Taiwanese-American Christine Chiu loves to boast about her extensive couture collection. It’s easy to understand why.
Back in the day, American and European heiresses accounted for the lion’s share of couture customers, but these days the couture ateliers of Paris in France cater to Middle Eastern royals, Russian oligarchs and ultra-wealthy Asians.
Prices for couture garments, which are handmade in Paris, range from about US$10,000 for a simple day outfit to as much as US$300,000 for more complex items, such as embroidered gowns that can take hundreds of hours to make. The creation of each piece, custom made to fit the wearer’s body like a glove, requires a series of fittings, which normally take place in the French capital, or at one of the client’s residences if that is their wish.
