1903-1994 Madame Grès

[DosViolines]

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Madame Alix Grès (1903-1993), was one of the twentieth century’s most brilliant couturiers. During a career that spanned six decades, beginning around 1930 and lasting until 1988, she developed unique construction techniques that allowed her to craft garments of exquisite sculptural beauty. Because Grès draped each garment by hand and eschewed novel, thematic collections, her work has often been described – inaccurately - as free from the quixotic dictates of fashion. The fact is that she did keep pace with the times, but rather than merely follow general design trends, she elevated dressmaking to an art form.

Despite the high regard in which Madame Grès is held, the details of her innovations and the evolution of her distinctive style remain relatively obscure. This exhibition is the first to identify three primary styles as distinct terms in the Grès lexicon: the classically-inspired, “Grecian” style of her pleated gowns; the “ethnic” inspirations behind her simple, geometric designs; and the billowing, three-dimensional quality of her “sculptural” coats and gowns. Each original design was crafted by the couturier in solitude and draped “in the round.” Her unique, self-taught methods of construction may lack mathematical precision, but their technical consistency and graceful aesthetics come undeniably from the hand of a master couturier. This exhibition is dedicated to her incomparable achievements.

Patricia Mears, Deputy Director

 

[DosViolines]

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SCULPTING WITH FABRIC

Madame Grès has often been called the “great sculptress” of haute couture. Sculptural elements in her work are the results of fabric that was puffed, molded, and shaped in ways that allowed large quantities of it to billow boldly and dramatically around the body. The post-World War II era was the heyday of Grès’s sculpted works. Unlike most other designers of the late forties and early fifties, Grès did not rely upon hidden support structures, such as crinolines, to craft her sculpted designs. Instead, she used paper taffeta or heavy fabrics to shape her cocktail dresses, capes, and coats.

Grès would continue to experiment with three-dimensional forms well into the sixties and seventies. Examples range from a navy blue taffeta gown with enormous, balloon-shaped sleeves to the “Turandot” evening gown. The latter is basic in construction but operatic in manifestation. Using three graduated circles placed atop one another, its tiered, wedding-cake silhouette is anything but saccharin. The folds of inky silk are brilliantly controlled by Grès and impart to the wearer a kind of languid animation akin to that of a robed emperor or pontiff.

Years of controlled refinement shaped the evolution of Grès’s sculpted designs. Created over a period of several decades, they may differ in appearance, but the visual drama of these garments provides us with a link to their exquisite common ancestry.

Madame Alix Grès, evening dress with balloon sleeves, navy silk paper taffeta, 1977, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, evening coat, grey brocaded silk with wool plush lining, Circa 1950, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

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Madame Alix Grès, day coat and skirt, grey wool twill, Circa 1947, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

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THE GRECIAN GOWN

Madame Grès’s most famous and recognizable creations are her Greek-inspired gowns. Yet these fashions were not directly inspired by Grecian art; rather, they were timely distillations of classicism, which saw a revival in fashion during the 1930s. Predictably, they have been described as “classical,” and some fashion journalists have also called them “timeless,” meaning that their design did not change over time. However, this is incorrect. Madame Grès’s “Grecian” gowns, like all her work, constantly evolved.

Such misconceptions are common because Grès retained key elements of the gowns throughout her career. Most of them are monochromatic, they have no patterning or surface embellishments, such as embroidery, they were made from uncut lengths of doublewidth, matte silk jersey, they have almost no interior support on which to anchor the fabric, they provide little, if any, coverage of the arms, and they are mostly floor-length, but are cut to enhance the female body without restricting movement. Yet the construction of Grès’s “Grecian” gowns did change, slowly, over the decades.

By the forties, due to the impact of World War II fabric restrictions, Madame Grès’s output of classically-inspired gowns had been drastically reduced. When fabric again became readily available, Grès began to place more emphasis on “fluting,” a highly concentrated, micro-technique for pleating. Fluting became an omnipresent element in Grès’s Greek-inspired gowns during the second half of the century.

Grès continued to update and modernize her “Grecian” gown throughout the sixties. These thoroughly modern dresses not only kept pace with the times, their daring cuts sometimes surpassed the work of her much younger contemporaries. No figure in French couture used the elements of classicism so completely or poetically as did Madame Grès. If the entire body of her work could be viewed all at once, it would gleam with the complexity of her endless variations on this, her favorite theme.

Madame Alix Grès, evening dress, black matte silk jersey, circa 1938, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, evening dress, off-white matte silk jersey, 1965, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

Same dress in post #74

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[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, evening dress, pale pink matte silk jersey, 1955, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

See post #78
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[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, evening dress, ivory and blue (?) matte silk jersey, 1950-1951, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

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ETHNIC INFLUENCES

Madame Grès’s non-Western – or ethnic-inspired fashions – represent a third important stylistic theme of her career. Although she had experimented with “exotic” themes as early as the 1930s, at that time Grès was not particularly concerned with the actual construction of ethnic costume.

However in 1958-59, inspired during a trip to India, Grès began to drape garments that took their construction cues from saris, as well as caftans and kimonos. She expanded her entire body of work during this last phase of her career by creating cutting-edge garments that blended her newly discovered interest in global costume with her well-honed draping skills. Minutely modified geometric forms, ranging from rectangles to circles, were cut to fit each client’s individual physical specifications.

Widely covered by magazines of the late sixties and early seventies, Grès produced evening and “at-home” pajamas in ever greater numbers. She often combined these ethnically-inspired pieces with the latest fashion trends, such as hot pants and mini-skirts. Not only do these garments prove that Grès kept up with the latest fashion developments, her work also inspired a cadre of younger designers both in Europe and the United States.

Most traditional non-Western clothing emphasizes the importance of textiles and, as a result, rarely is cut to make fitted garments. While Grès’s ethnic-inspired creations demonstrate a basic respect for loom-woven textiles by minimizing cutting and sewing of the ground fabric, these deceptively simple garments also embrace important couture elements. All are beautifully finished inside, with seams that are overcast by hand, and some have hidden structural supports that help hold these loosely-cut garments in place.

Madame Alix Grès, two-piece evening ensemble, coral wool and angora jersey, circa 1965, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

See post #69

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, one-piece "at-home" pajama, black and off-white matte silk crepe, 1967, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

See post #77
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[DosViolines]

Madame Alix Grès, two-piece evening dress, pink and black multi-ply silk, circa 1969, France, Photograph by Irving Solero

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THE LIFE AND CAREER OF MADAME GRÈS

Just as the full scope of her work remains little known, Madame Grès herself is a mysterious figure in fashion history. Perpetually swathed in a turban, Madame Grès lived up to her nickname, the “Sphinx of Fashion,” and has been described as an “Abbess riding in a Mercedes.” Private and secretive, she was “more Garbo than Garbo” – in stark contrast to her work, which was clear and pure and accessible. Her influence has been great and her innovations have earned unparalleled respect, but the details of her life are muddled and confusing.

Born Germaine Emilie Krebs in Paris on November 30, 1903, she claimed to have studied art, and to have had hopes of becoming a sculptor. Dissuaded by her bourgeois family, however, she took up the craft of dressmaking. At some point in the early 1930s, she renamed herself “Alix” and appropriated the last name “Barton” from an early employer and business partner. In 1937, she married a Russian artist who signed his paintings “Grès” and that was the name she chose to use when she opened her own couture house. Her business prospered and she became a wealthy woman, until, decades later, poor management and the sale of her company led to its closure in 1988. She died penniless one week before her ninetieth birthday.

More important than her personal history is her legacy. The last of the “Golden Age” couturiers, Grès did not sketch or leave the technical process to assistants, nor did she promote herself or rely on stylists to create her image. She crafted her public persona by means of omission, hiding many details of her life, so that what remains is not the memory of a celebrity but an extraordinary, living body of work. The slow and meticulous evolution of her style, her embrace of the female form, and her love of craft have given us enduring objects of sublime beauty and refinement that transcend time.

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Grès (French, 1903–1993). Dress, 1971. White hand-pleated silk jersey.

Alix Grès was a designer of diverse tastes, but one whose work always reflected her fascination with the complexities of a garment’s cut and structure. She was most widely known for her finely pleated silk jersey dresses such as this particularly representative example. Grès began the draping of such gowns with a boned underbodice, very much like a supple corset. She manipulated and loosely tacked the tightly arranged pleats to this base by hand. Generally, the jersey was worked in parallel vertical panels running from the shoulders to the hem of the gown. In this design, the horizontal pleating at the bodice is composed of separate inserts, but the “braided” bands that extend to form shoulder straps are continuous with the skirt.

Posted by Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton
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[eugenius]

if anybodys interested..

theres a book out there entitled "People In Vogue: A Century of Portraits" which has a pic of Madame Gres in her golden years taken in 1984 by Snowdon..of note: an elderly Gres, surrounded by her creations..who do I know has a scanner now?http://www.amazon.com/People-Vogue-...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209302563&sr=1-1

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Gres's high coveted and rare knife pleated gowns were done by her own hand and then stitched to follow the flow of the folds as they gracefully followed and blended into each other. The inner bodice construction is also complicated and sophisticated but in actuality the gowns were made to be worn with comfort and ease. The construction is such that one can be confident in avoiding a wardrobe malfunction.

This strapless empire waist bodice with tight horizontal pleats and two center knots fashioned of ivory silk jersey chiffon with skirt that flows in a column below. Circa late 50's early 60's.

marilynglass.com

 

[DosViolines]

Madame Gres grecian one shoulder silk deep turquoise/teal blue gown. An actual runway design (see label) from the 1970's. Runway designs are quite rare.

As a sculptor Gres always depended on structural insight in creating her fashions. Her minimalist design (constructed from joined fabric panels at the back tucked at the waist and pinched at the bodice, and her signature one shoulder grecian style) defined her ability to create classical, elegant enchanting dreamlike fashions.

Fabric is scooped up at the shoulder and delicately formed into an exquisite bow. The dress is not traditionally lined but fabric is double faced with contrasting emerald green silk. Side zipper closure and high kick pleat.

The label of the dress shows the name of the model "Vicky" who wore the dress; the model number; and Atelier Jeannine who sewed the dress.

Provenance: Madame Gres estate.

marilynglass.com

 

[tuttyfruit]

wonderful dresses! i am really keen on grecian style dresses.. these are amazing. it's so unfortunate that she was left unrecognized.. and it truly is a shame of the French government to leave her work to stray... at least her legacy remains...

these gowns are truly beautiful.....

 

[lotusgreen]

that white one is unbelievable

 

[DosViolines]

thefrock

 

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