Never out of style

- The Madame Grès exhibition -

In today’s world, we are able to see and know everything about what goes on in the fashion business. The behind the scenes of fashion shows, fashion shoots and the making of a collection have no more secrets to the wide public. We can even buy off the runway pieces in a matter of minutes. With Burberry’s live-streaming catwalk, a new hot trench is only a click away.  

And although today’s fashion is there for everyone to reach, fashion history stills houses its little secret treasures… and Madame Grès is one of them.  

Madame Grès was born Germaine Emilie Krebs in 1903. Formally trained as a sculptress, but unable to excel in her profession (as it was an unsuitable job  for a lady), she devoted herself to a career as a couturier. She opened her own fashion house in 1942 which she ran until 1988.

Inspired by classical Greek gowns, she sculpted fabrics around the feminine body. She was faremost known for creating simple but technical complex evening dresses, producing the most exquisite gowns for an array of elegant and fashionable ladies like the Duchess of Windsor, Jacqueline Kennedy , Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.  

“I wanted to be a sculptor. For me, it’s the same thing to work the fabric or the stone”

Her work, was admired by her designer colleagues , such as Givenchy, to whom she was a genius. YSL and Pierre Bergé’s foundation still houses the biggest Madame Grès collection in the world.

The simplexity in which yarns and yarns of silk jersey are draped an pleated is breathtaking. It feels like walking into Rachel Zoe's showroom just before the Oscars. Every Grès dress, every fabric panel is red carpet proofed. None of the designs look plain nor ordinary. Any given actress would be guaranteed to win a place on the best dressed list when wearing a Grès creation .

I cannot help but wonder which movie starlet will be wearing a vintage Madame Grès to the next big Hollywood event.  



From the 25th of March until the 24th of July
Musee Bourdelle
16, rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris