Haute couture has concluded for Fall 2017. As I've said before, there was a lushness to the shows, and it's good to see a fashion organization like the CHAMBRE SYNDICALE own its place in the world. Call it disruption or opportunity, change can be for the better, and it seems the institutions that organize and fund haute couture are up to the challenge. We've brought together essential coverage of couture week, including the debuts of American guest designers and the return of AZZEDINE ALAÏA. FashionSET, Couture Week: Fall 2017... BOUCHRA JARRAR is exiting LANVIN after sixteen months, having shown only two collections at the label. Jarrar took on the creative director role facing some steep challenges, not least of which was the long shadow of beloved designer ALBER ELBAZ and the public blowout over his departure. That, along with budget cuts and a seemingly conservative working environment don't bode well for anyone tasked with righting the ship. Do creative directors have support groups? Because that would be the most interesting SLACK channel ever... But back to Lanvin, the label should take a risk, because the conservative moves aren't working. Somehow, I don't think an "external audit" is the answer to getting the label into turnaround mode. There's an incredible amount of heritage to work with at a house like Lanvin... ALEXANDER FREELING's essay "On Buttonholes" is about so much more: production by hand and machine, social signals in sartorial details, the repetition of honed craft, and a personal journey through learning to stitch one's own. Great read... In brief: An upcoming exhibition on photographer LOUISE DAHL-WOLFE... From the world of GUCCI, Chinese customers can now shop the label online. Gucci president and CEO MARCO BIZZARRI is named Chevalier of the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, which was established by one NAPOLÉON BONAPARTE in 1802. Wonder if Napoléon would have enjoyed INSTAGRAM... QVC and HSN merge... DANIELLE STEEL has been attending haute couture shows for decades. Love her blog dispatches.