by POPSUGAR Fashion News 0

>> Giambattista Valli has built a robust part of his six-year-old business on bridal and private couture orders, but now he's taking the first step in making his couture official. The Chambre Syndicale has elected Valli a guest member of the Paris couture calendar, and he will present a collection during the July 2011 or January 2012 couture weeks.

A designer has to be a guest couture member for a minimum of five years before their collection is eligible to officially be called haute couture, and guest members are elected by the 15 houses that have already earned the official couture title, among them Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Chanel, and Maison Martin Margiela.