Pret has nothing to do with price

The single most irritating thing about Fashion Week is the consistent misuse of the word 'prêt' by everyone from senior designers (who really should know better) to ignorant journos (who follow their lead). The word is an abbreviation of the French phrase 'prêt-a-porter', which translates as ready to wear. And that is exactly what it means: clothes that are ready to wear as distinct from those that are specially made for you. The first is prêt, the second is couture -- and these terms are universally applicable throughout the fashion world.
For some strange reason, however, the Indian fashion world seems to be labouring under the impression that prêt translates as 'cheap'. Thus, de signers will hasten to clarify that their line is 'bridge' or even 'diffusion', but not prêt, because the price points are on the high side.

This is simply stupid. Prêt has nothing to do with price points and everything to do with provenance. In the West, an Armani Black Label suit may retail for $4,000, while an Ar mani Exchange T-shirt is available on the racks for $100. Similarly, a Donna Karan dress may cost around $5,000 while a pair of DKNY jeans are priced at a more reasonable $200. But both are described as prêt because they are ready to wear, rather than made to measure. Similarly in India, a Tarun Tahiliani kurta or a Rohit Bal sherwani qualifies as prêt -- irre spective of the price tag -- if you pick it off the racks. If a similar garment is made for you by the designer, then it qualifies as couture.

In the West, designers make a distinction between their main line, which is the most expensive, and their bridge or diffusion lines that are considerably cheaper. They also spin off their labels into sports lines, which are even more affordable. But everyone accepts that no matter what the price of these garments, they all qualify as prêt. That is a lesson in semantics that our designers would do well to understand. If our fashion fraternity is to make it globally, then a good beginning would be to learn the language of fashion.

A DICTIONARY OF FASHION

Couture: Made to measure. In men's fashion, bespoke means a hand-made garment in which the fabric is cut specially for you.

Pret-a-porter: Ready to wear. Anything you buy off the rack is prêt, regardless of price. Prada is still prêt no matter how much it costs. So is the cheaper Miu Miu line.

Bridge Line: Also called a 'diffusion' line. Most designers have one or two major prêt lines, but also make medium-priced garments under a different label. This is the 'bridge' or 'diffusion' line. Armani has Emporio Armani and two sportswear lines, Armani Exchange and Armani Jeans. Donna Karan has DKNY. Emanuel Ungaro has Emanuel by Ungaro.