“Nobody really knows anymore, especially in the U.S., what couture is. […] They’ll say, ‘This couture dress by Ralph Lauren,’ and I’m like, ‘No. NO.’” Valerie Steele, fashion historian and curator, in:

 

Binkley, Christina. “Fashion Journal: So What Does ‘Couture’ Mean, Anyway?“, Wall Street Journal. April 26, 2007.

Recently in Munich: "Couture & Trends"

For a proper definition of ‘haute couture’, read this chapter.