Last week's haute couture shows in Paris brought on plenty of surprises.
From the wedding dress made from plastic bags at Maison Margiela to the giant painting dresses at Viktor & Rolf and the flower cages worn on models' heads at Bowie Wong, there was no shortage of outrageous looks at the fall/winter 2015 shows.
Check out some of the wildest looks below!
The Craziest Looks From The Fall 2015 Couture Shows
A Brief Background On Haute Couture
Which houses are officially known as 'haute couture'?
In France, the term "haute couture" is protected by law, and is defined by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. This regulating commission determines which fashion houses are eligible to be true haute couture houses, with the criteria established in 1945. Currently, 15 fashion houses can use the label "haute couture" for their collections, including big-named brands such as Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier. This number has greatly dropped from the 106 houses labelled "haute couture" at the end of the Second World War. Each year, these famous hosues meet and vote to elect termed "guest members," marking who will be invited to hold a show that's part of the prestigious circle.
What makes haute couture so special?
With haute couture, pieces must follow very strict guidelines. For example, each item of clothing has to be a unique piece, that is, 100 per cent original, custom-crafted, handmade and designed in workshops by a permanent designer, with at least 20 members of staff per atelier. Roughly 200 people are regular haute couture clients, all of whom are most definitely privileged clientele.