So, what does that mean, exactly? Well, to my knowledge, the phrase has never been applied to fashion before, but here's the definition as it is used in another field:

bleeding edge - a term describing certain kinds of technology that are so far advanced, there is no real, practical application for them yet. It is a play on term “leading edge” and its synonym “cutting edge,” but implies a greater degree of risk: the “bleeding edge” is thus in front of the “cutting edge.” The technology is so new (and thus, presumably, not “perfected” for mainstream consumption) that the user is required to risk reductions in usability and productivity in order to use it. It also refers to the tendency of the latest technology to be extremely expensive. When an individual or even a company decides to take a chance on bleeding-edge technology, there is a chance that the purchase may turn out to be a “white elephant,” that is, a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly cost of upkeep, exceeds its usefulness. The term can be used either as a noun or an adjective. (Definition combined from Netlingo and Wikipedia - links provided at the bottom.)

Right away a connection can be made linguistically between the Spanish verb for “wear,” usar, and the concept of usability, as outlined above. But there is yet another parallel between aggressively ambitious new technology that is not meant to the faint of heart—let alone for the unwashed masses of the general public—and outrageous new clothing that isn't made with very modest or down-to-earth intentions, either. And to play on the words referring to the different types of haute technologie creations, we can identify the various types of haute couture creations: There is softwear (like silk and satin gowns...exotic leathers, pants made of white crocodile like the one above, but not white elephant—as far as I know, anyway); then there is hardwear (like actual bronze armor...metallic brassieres, the kinds of fabrics that go clang); then the ever-sadistic malwear (hobble skirts and 7-inch stiletto heels—yes, worn together, obviously); then the midpoint between softwear and harwear, which would be firmwear (corsets...tighter corsets...corsets that make breathing an enviable luxury); and lastly, I suppose even wetwear (no, that's not swimwear, but rather the kind of couture that has been splattered with paint, or, as seen above, drenched in fake blood, or, with a mixture of some fake and some real, the same way that any clever lady does with her pearls. J/K, relax), and, given all those parallels, we can certainly see how clear this analogy really is.

But the 20th-century American fashion critic Eugenia Sheppard famously said:
“To call a fashion wearable is the kiss of death. No new fashion worth its salt is ever wearable.”
So couture is “a salt” on mainstream fashion? I see. Oh, and is blood not heavily salted?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines haute couture as “The leading establishments or designers for the creation of exclusive fashions,” but as you have now learned, there is more than just a leading edge to the work that these couture designers do—indeed there is a bleeding edge to it, and perhaps this is why couture dresses are described as “dripping” with gems, and having “flowing” fabric, and “running” trains…all the same verbs you hear in reference to blood. And the evidence thus continues to coagulate...

Now, despite so many claims in newspapers a few years ago that said haute couture was on its way out, the reality is that those observations about the art-form have been made only in consideration of the number of long-time couturiers who have retired over the past several years, or who will soon be retiring. The reality, however, is that there are several quite young designers doing couture collections now, and across the board, couture sales have only increased to ever-more-astonishing levels as the seasons go by (as in, “Go! Buy it!”). This was highlighted in the very title of the July 1, 2008 Associated Press report that read:

The article concludes with an anecdote that illustrates that point quite nicely:
“Socialite Becca Cason Thrash, who recently held a charity Lacroix couture show at her Houston home, said there was a downside to the increasingly globalized couture clientele. Though couture houses generally make sure no two women from the same city buy identical outfits, they can't monitor the comings and goings of jet-setters, who risk finding themselves face to face with a doppelganger.
‘I go to a party in London and there we are together, bookends at 30,000 euros ($47,000). And you're like, looking for a cyanide capsule,’ Thrash said with a laugh.”

Apparently that bleeding edge was of double-sided sword! Ha! A couturious claymore of horror! Ahh!.... Ok. Now...all of you nefarious malwear designers? Get crackin’!!!!
(Next up - Yes, comparing the cutting process to hacking, and cracking. I know there is a difference between those two things, and I am fully prepared to crack the codes...of high fashion.)</p></td></tr></table>woops wait, what the hell izzat?