Fashion design is defined as the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories.   Until the 1950s, fashionable clothing was predominately designed and manufactured on a made to measure or haute couture basis (French for high-fashion).  A couture garment was made to order for an individual customer, and was usually made from high-quality and expensive fabric, sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming and hand-executed techniques.  Notably, look and fit took priority over the cost of materials and the time it took to make.