Monday marked the kick off to a week of winter 2010 haute couture collections in Paris, France. News outlets such as the New York Times, Associated Press and Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) were filing stories left, right and centre about the relevance of couture in these difficult economic times. Couture garments are a work of art taking countless man hours to produce,but they also run the cost of a small island off the coast of Africa.

Therefore it’s rightly so that WWD ask, “Do dresses with six-figure price tags have a place in fashion magazines at a time of economic crisis?” In the world of fashion and fantasy where every girl is Carrie Bradshaw I say yes. However, according to Statistics Canada in May “Employment decreased by 42,000 (jobs and) … The unemployment rate rose… to 8.4 per cent, the highest rate in 11 years” this is a reality which cannot afford excess. There are only a select few who can afford these ostentatious outfits and they are the monetary staple of the exclusive haute couture club.

The outfits pictured in this post are by John Galliano for the House of Dior – beautiful colours and tailoring but the lower half of the garments seem to be missing. One could assume Galliano ran out of money to buy fabric to finish the rest of the skirts or the lack of cloth is a play on the sign of the economic times. What I know for sure is these outfits don’t exactly qualify as winter wear. Obviously they haven’t been to Canada.

(Images from @itsmechaneliman and New York Times photographers, Chris Moore/Karl Prouse.)