The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COUTURIER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
U
T
U
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More clues leading to the result COUTURIER
- Royal attendant has change of heart about upper-class dressmaker
- One delivering messages around Utah for designer
- Designer of short evening dress featuring in guide
- French gear manufacturer
- Second person from Paris informÂally dressed by runner for Chanel, say?
- Physicist holding out to get Rutherford’s head designer
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "French gear manufacturer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case french gear manufacturer = couturier.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COUTURIER mean?
COUTURIER noun- A person who designs haute couture (high fashion).
- A company that is owned by, or employs such a person; a fashion house.