evening dress

Madame Grès

Summary

A princess-line gown constructed of vertically banded panels of silk satin, each one hand-stitched and hand-locked; original internal corset; labelled Madame Grès in the design used between 1947 and 1953. Madame Gres - or Alix Barton was born in 1902 and raised in Paris. She trained in haute couture dressmaking at Maison Premet and opened her own house in 1932 trading under her name Alix. Grès's use of classical drapery and elegant gowns became the signature of the couture fashion house. and she also became known for her technique of using live mannequins, designing and creating garments directly on the bodies. Her early work shows Greco-Roman sculptural influences as well as simple lines and attention to the female body. She married in 1942 and renamed her house Madame Gres, relaunching after the war. During the later 40s she continued with her Grecian goddess pleated gowns, but from the early 50s (and the date of this dress) she looked to a simpler more fitted line. She continued working until the later 1980s.