Fashion has existed since ancient times, dating back to Roman times, having survived world wars and is still a rapidly changing business today. Fashion began as an art form, a way for the wealthy to show off their social status with unique and innovative designs that only they could afford. It was a way to separate the social classes of society. In this article I will include the creator of haute couture and how the following designers developed fashion, as well as having prominent names in today's ready-to-wear industry. The list is long, but I have chosen to focus on the three most important designers in the modern fashion industry. Haute Couture Haute Couture is the French term for haute couture and refers to the tailoring, sewing or embroidery of a garment. In 1886, Charles Frédéric Worth founded an association of fashion houses dedicated to regulating and protecting the work of Parisian couturiers, which later evolved into La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. (Mackenzie 47). The term Haute Couture is protected by law according to which it is necessary to respect specific criteria established by the Chamber of Auditors of Haute Couture in order to be categorized under its name. The criterion for being classified as Haute Couture is a minimum of fifteen people employed in the house, producing unique garments of the highest craftsmanship and quality, as well as being presented to the press in Paris each season. .A couture piece is hand customized by a fashion house and is made to the highest level of quality. The garment is made specifically for the wearer, and it is thanks to its delicate and exclusive fabric that it is only worn by the future wearer once before the garment goes into production. Haute couture and... middle of paper... .duction.Fashion in the 21st century is big business, as its production employs millions of people and generates billions of dollars in revenue. Fashion has been over the last century, and still is today, used as an indicator of social change and progress, as it changes with the social norms of society and the political changes of the world (Finkelstein 3). Works Cited Finkelstein, Joanne. Fashion: An Introduction. New York: New York University Press, 1998. Print. Jones, Terry and Rushton, Susie. ICONS: Fashion now. Cologne: Taschen, 2006. Print.Mackenzie, Mairi. ...isms: understanding fashion. London: Herbert Press, 2009. Print.Rennilds Milbank, Caroline. Couture, the great stylists. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc. Publishers, 1985. Print.Stegemeyer. Anna. Who's who in fashion. 4th edition. New York: Fairchild Books, 2003. Print