The fashion industry came under fire for its high prices long before this pesky recession took hold, but Viktor + Rolf's DIY tutorial for the New York Times' T Magazine on how to construct a couture gown actually explains a lot.
In just a few simple steps -- 163 hours of hand-sewing, cutting and dyeing; and 547 individually embroidered sequins -- you, too, can have your very own haute couture gown. Designers Viktor + Rolf offered instructions to recreate their cheekily abstract fashion in the minutes before their own original creations went down the runway, uncovering the painstaking detail and intricate construction of these wildly inventive garments.
Just when you think hand dyeing a mile of fine tulle would be too much of a cinch, the talented designer duo throws out such steps as "work toward a solid shape that is airy and light; fine-tune the volume" to construct the perfectly scaled, cut-out-at-the-hips full skirt and you should get the point.
