BY ANNA J. STAINSBY                                                                                                                                                   ONLINE DIRECTOR

If fashion week is an invite-only party, then couture week is a secret knock, underground passageway, exclusive affair to which only a select few of the fashion glitterati know the password to.The premise of the week itself is intrinsically exclusive- only clothing made in Parisian ateliers (staffed with at least 15 employees and armed with at least 50 designs to show during the week) can be called haute couture and shown during the week, where editors, A-listers, and the most influential members of the industry flock to Paris to watch the collections in their jus soli.While fashion week goers tend to pull out all the sartorial stops to stand out among a sea of attendees to get snapped, couture guests choose uniform dressing and subdued individuality over peacocking. Jeans are worn to Chanel. All black get-ups selected for back to back shows. Blazers are thrown over tees, stilettos swapped out for sneakers. Haute couture week may be bursting with ballgowns and diamonds, but those who go, go to work, and those who work, dress accordingly.