MADAME GRES Haute Couture Paris 1972 black crepe slash slit cut out dress M
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 53.55 in (136 cm)Marked Size: M (NA)Bust: 17.33 in (44 cm)Waist: 14.97 in (38 cm)Hip: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Hong Kong, HK
- Reference Number:
Madame Gres
Forever credited with having altered the fashion world with her pleated silk dresses, Madame Grès was one of the greatest couturiers of the 20th century. She defied the orders of Nazi soldiers and designed gowns and evening dresses that mirrored the colors and pattern of the French flag, working by hand with material that hung directly from live models. A consummate artist, Grès created garments that were demonstrative of exemplary construction and meticulous attention to detail — her signature floor-length gowns left a lasting impact on every aspect of haute couture.
Born Germaine Émilie Krebs to a French Jewish family in Paris, Grès initially studied painting and sculpture. For her, making dresses and working in sculpture were one and the same, and she pursued a career in fashion. Grès worked in millinery and was trained in haute couture dressmaking at the illustrious House of Prémet.
Grès opened her inaugural couture fashion house in 1932, and within a couple of years she began working under the name Alix Barton — the surname came from her coworker, couturier Julie Barton — calling her business La Maison Alix and creating gowns until 1942 in what became her signature style. She perfected modern pleating techniques and worked directly on live models, mostly with generous amounts of silk jersey and airy silk paper taffeta. Her designs showed the influence of Greco-Roman sculpture and would go on to help shape the work of Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander and Azzedine Alaïa, who also thought of haute couture as sculpture.
Grès’s work was photographed by the likes of Horst P. Horst, and her gowns for Jean Giraudaux’s play The Trojan War Will Not Take Place in 1935 established her as a leading designer, though Nazi occupation stalled her growth.
During WWII, Grès refused to design the utilitarian garb that German forces requested and instead made clothes using the colors of the French flag as her own act of rebellion. Ultimately, she was forced to close her boutique in Paris. The designer married Russian painter Serge Czerefkov, changed her name to Grès — which is how her husband signed his name — and fled to the Pyrenees before returning to establish her second couture house under her new name.
Madame Grès’s second maison was widely successful and attracted a long list of rich and powerful clientele ranging from movie stars to royalty. A single dress could take hundreds of hours to complete. Some of the couturier’s clients became deeply loyal over the course of her career, including the Duchess of Windsor, Oscar-winning actresses Grace Kelly and Greta Garbo, iconic Tiffany & Co. jewelry designer Paloma Picasso and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Grès guarded her personal life closely and let her delicate, impeccable work speak for itself.
Original Madame Grès evening dresses and gowns, coats, jackets and day dresses, which transformed women into Greek deities, are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum at FIT and the Musée Bourdelle.
“Her dresses were about a sense of power, strength and beauty, not objectification,” explains Patricia Mears, deputy director of the Museum at FIT and author of Madame Grès: Sphinx of Fashion. “Everyone knows Chanel, Dior and Saint Laurent,” Mears says, “but I believe that the great triumvirate was Madeleine Vionnet, Balenciaga and Madame Grès — those who knew how to make clothes with their own hands, couturiers in the old sense of the word.”
Find vintage Madame Grès clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Central, Hong Kong
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- new VERSACE 2019 Runway Jim Dine heart print gold safety pin dress IT38 XSBy VersaceLocated in Hong Kong, NTnew VERSACE 2019 Runway Jim Dine heart print gold safety pin dress IT38 XS Reference: TGAS/B01892 Brand: Versace Designer: Donatella Versace Collec...Category
2010s Cocktail Dresses
- DOLCE GABBANA black red polka dot embroidered tulle flared dress IT40 SBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Hong Kong, NTDOLCE GABBANA black red polka dot embroidered tulle flared dress IT40 S Reference: KEDG/A00058 Brand: Dolce Gabbana Material: Tulle Color: Black Pattern: Polka Dot Closure: Zip Extra Detail: Comes with lace trimmed silk camisole. Flared cuff. Tulle fared Flamenco skirt...Category
2010s Cocktail Dresses
- MAGDA BUTRYM Matera crystal embellished purple floral wrap skirt dress FR34 XSLocated in Hong Kong, NTMAGDA BUTRYM Matera crystal embellished purple floral wrap skirt dress FR34 XS Reference: AAWC/A00151 Brand: Magda Butrym Model: Matera As seen on: Tori Garrn, Julianne Hough Materia...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Cocktail Dresses
- PREEN THORNTON BREGAZZI navy blue green colorblocked back cocktail dress XSBy Preen By Thornton Bregazzi, PreenLocated in Hong Kong, NTPREEN THORNTON BREGAZZI navy blue green colorblocked back cocktail dress XS Reference: SNKO/A00041 Brand: Preen Designer: Thornton Bregazzi Model: ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Cocktail Dresses
- YVES SAINT LAURENT wool crepe cape sleeve dual pockets boxy dress FR38By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Hong Kong, NTYVES SAINT LAURENT wool crepe cape sleeve dual pockets boxy dress FR38 Reference: CEWG/A00014 Brand: Yves Saint Laurent Model: Boxy dress Collection: Runway Material: Wool, Blend Col...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- VERSACE 100% silk black white swirl print ruche pleated cocktail dress IT38 SBy Versace, Donatella VersaceLocated in Hong Kong, NTVERSACE 100% silk black white swirl print ruche pleated cocktail dress IT38 S Reference: CC/VAHI00327 Brand: Versace Designer: Donatella Versace Model: Pleated cocktail dress Materia...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Mariano Fortuny Black Silk Peplos GownBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis dress is made of finely pleated black colored silk with silk cording along side seams,shoulders and tunic hem with matte frosted colored glass beads threaded through the cordin...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Peplos
- Mariano Fortuny Black Peplos GownBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis dress is made of finely pleated black colored silk with silk cording along side seams,shoulders and tunic hem with multicolored glass beads threaded through the cording.
...CategoryEarly 20th Century Italian Art Deco Delphos Gowns
- Mariano Fortuny Black Delphos GownBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis dress is made of finely pleated black colored silk with silk cording along side seams, and multicolored glass beads threaded through the cording.
Named after a ...CategoryEarly 20th Century Italian Art Deco Delphos Gowns
- Gianni Versace 1997 Couture fall black leather gownBy Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in CAPELLE AAN DEN IJSSEL, ZHGianni Versace was an influential Italian fashion designer who founded the Versace brand. In the fall of 1997, he presented his couture collection in Paris, which was widely acclaimed for its opulent fabrics, bold prints, and intricate detailing. The collection featured several notable pieces, such as a black evening gown with a plunging neckline and a gold-encrusted jacket. However, just a few days later, on July 15th, 1997, Gianni was tragically murdered outside his Miami Beach home. Despite his untimely death, his contributions to the world of fashion continue to be celebrated, and his legacy remains an inspiration too many. This collection is iconic as it’s the final collection before his passing. The collection very much showed a new direction for the house. Which was heading away from the bombshell curves and souped-up sex appeal that the house previously focussed on. But took more Inspirations to the new wave John Galliano and Mcqueen were leading. MET Gala: Salma Hayek y sus mejores momentos en la alfombra roja Vogue For the 1997 Met Gala Salma Hayek wore a very similar Gianni Versace look...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1980s Dimitri Kritsas long black dressLocated in Milano, IT1980s Dimitri Kritsas long black dress with wide shawl neckline and low cut back. Rounded high slit in front with fitted long sleeves. Evening dress Size: M Waist: 88 cm Length: 14...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-02 Silk Flared Hem Dress - Velvet RibbonBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brussels, BEFlirtation and eroticism were on American designer Tom Ford’s mind for his Fall/Winter 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche collection. Using stereotypical women’s fabrics for appropr...Category
Early 2000s French Sheath Dresses