Sachs's art work set her back $40,000, almost as much as a couture dress.

The couture dress is unique and may never even be made to order.

A $20,000 haute couture dress was no burden for her.

Do people really need an $80,000 haute couture dress?

"But if you pay $8,000 for a couture dress, why not for a chair?"

"It is like to make a beautiful couture dress."

That may be true of such things as skydiving or buying a couture dress.

Pint-size couture dresses run from $300 to $1,400; for information, www.wishlistgirl.com.

Paper magazine won a prize for couture dresses made of paper.

Of the approximately 3,000 couture dresses made annually, he estimated, 2,000 are sold to Americans.