Madam gres biography
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Grès is best known for her Hellenic dresses, but the timelessness of her designs is not only a function of their classicism; they remain modern in part because the designer’s chief preoccupation was the body; her second, fabric. The vagaries of trends were of little interest to her. Moreover, Grès trained as an artist and was, Saillard observes, “much more a sculptor than fashion designer.” His assessment is in line with Vogue’s view of the designer. “It is Alix—Alix with the soul of a sculptor and a talent for draping new to Western civilization—who is the talk of Paris. The drapery of this young newcomer to the Grande Couture is firing a shot that will be heard around the fashion world,” the magazine enthused in 1935.
From the Vogue archive: Edwina d’Erlanger in a chiffon dress by Alix .Photographed by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, February 15, 1936
From the Vogue archive: Model in a Directoire-style dress by Alix. Drawing by Carl Erickson, Vogue, September 15, 1937
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Contents
Summary
Madame Alix Grès is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant couturiers of the twentieth century. She employed innovative construction techniques in the service of a classical aesthetic, creating her hallmark “Grecian” gowns as well as a wide range of simple and geometrically cut designs based on ethnic costume. Her garments are noted for their three-dimensional, sculptural quality.
Biography
Early life
Madame Grès was born and raised in Paris, France. Early in life, Grès studied painting and sculpting. Grès originally dreamed of becoming a sculptress but after many objections made by her family she shifted her interests towards the art of fashion design and clothing making. Using her formal training in sculpture, Grès was able to apply her sculpting techniques to her fabric forms. Grès’s first job in the industry of fashion was a woman’s hat maker where she excelled until she began focusing on couture dressmaking. After distinguis
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Germaine Émilie Krebs was born in 1903. As a ung French woman, who aspired to become a sculptor, Krebs was unaware that her career was destined to be within the world of fashion, later becoming the master couturier Madame Grès. An extreme hard-worker, who kept her private life secret and away from the cameras, Grès left her mark on the world of couture, dazzling her rivals and inspiring the next generation of designers with her Grecian flowing gowns.
C.I.56.60.6a, b. Madame Grès dress. c1954. Silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (both images).
At first, Grès opened her first couture house under the name of Alix. This was the start of a successful and prestigious career, with notable clients such as The Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly, and Marlene Dietrich.
By 1942 Grès had married, her title, ‘Grès,’ an anagram of her husband’s name. bygd now, she was developing her signature Grecian gowns, using draping techniques that worked with the fabric first r