Charles Frédéric Worth founded the first true House of
haute couture in the year
1858 at 7, rue de la Paix, in
Paris. Worth's commercial success was based on creating original garments for wealthy individual clients.
Much like many other pinnacles of French culture, "haute couture" is a legal "designation". "Only those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves thereof," (Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture).
In the year 1945 the main criteria were made law. The criteria were updated in the year 1992. Specifically, the most recent criteria are as follows:
(a) "to employ a minimum of fifteen people at the workshops"; (b) "to present to the press in Paris each season (spring/summer and autumn/winter) a collection of at least thirty-five runs consisting of models for daytime wear and evening wear."
research source: The French ministère des Affaires étrangères