It's official. In December, French fashion's governing body, the Chambre Syndicale, granted Bouchra Jarrar an haute couture appellation. This was an upgrade from her guest-member status and a seriously big deal.

If you've been paying attention to the headlines, you'll have noticed that France's big fashion conglomerates have been in major acquisition mode lately.

The designer is so committed to and intrigued by the viability of “accessible couture” that for fall, she upped the haute to about 70 percent of the lineup.

Bouchra Jarrar is a big talent who prefers the small gesture. The ready-to-wear collection she showed at the Musée Bourdelle put in sharp relief the frivolousness of some of the haute couture paraded elsewhere today.

"I would waste my time if I wasn't doing things women could wear." Some designers should have that tattooed on their arm to remind them of their raison d'être.

Couture week means a lot of crinoline, tulle, and taffeta. The word "fusty" comes to mind. Bouchra Jarrar cut through all that like a knife today with another collection that confirms her technique is just as sharp as her vision.

"I'm fascinated by asymmetry," said Bouchra Jarrar after her show. "I'm looking for the harmony in asymmetry, because this is life, I think."