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Cathy Horyn's defense of haute couture isn't winning any points for delicacy. "The thing is, fashion is a rotten, rotten business," she writes. But she champions haute couture as the industry's savior, describing it as a necessary counterpoint to ready-to-wear: The way she sees it, it's like "a think tank but way more fun." But of course, "it's not for everyone." So don't read her summary of the couture shows if you're a fan of fashion democracy, but do if you like your dresses described as "hermetically sealed." [T Mag]