![]() ![]() Consequentially, German forces ordered Grès's haute couture fashion house to be closed, claiming her generous use of fabric during wartime as their reason. Grès defied their orders and continued to design garments that mirrored the colors of the French flag. Wives of German officers also requested Grès to design dresses for them, despite the fact that she was Jewish she refused, and one of her gowns from this period features two small Stars of David sewn on the inside. During the war, German forces demanded that Madame Grès design bleak and utilitarian clothing which was in complete contrast to her entire collection. In 1942, after marrying Russian painter Serge Czerefkov, Grès began designing under the name "Madame Grès", a partial anagram of her husband's first name During World War II, after creation of the Madame Grès label, German troops invaded Paris and soon occupied it. Madame Grès era Grès evening gown, intricately draped pleated jersey, 1975 ( Palais Galliera) Draped jersey Grès evening gown c.1981. After receiving much applause for her theatrical costume designs, Grès became one of the leading designers of that time, designing for many notable figures such as the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo. While operating her haute couture fashion house under the name Alix, she first gained positive attention and critical acclaim for designing costumes for Jean Giraudoux's 1935 play, "The Trojan War Will Not Take Place". Her preferred media during this time were silk jersey and paper taffeta. Her early work shows Greco-Roman sculpture influences as well as simple lines and attention to the female body. At this time she became known for her technique of using live mannequins, designing and creating garments directly on the models. During this time, Grès's signature style of classical drapery and elegant gowns became the signature of the couture fashion house. Grès dropped the "Barton" in 1934 and designed under her own name, "Alix", for the remainder of the 1930s and up until 1942. In 1933, Grès and her coworker, Juliette Barton, combined their names to create Alix Barton, which she designed under for a short amount of time. In 1932, Grès opened her first couture fashion house, La Maison Alix. After distinguishing her area of interest, Grès received her early training in haute couture dressmaking at the fashion house Maison Premet, a house known for requiring extreme perfection. Grès's first job in the industry of fashion was as a woman's hat maker, where she excelled, until she began focusing on couture dressmaking. ![]() Using her formal training in sculpture, Grès was able to apply her sculpting techniques to her fabric forms. Grès originally dreamed of becoming a sculptor, but after many objections made by her family she shifted her interests towards the art of fashion design and clothing making. ![]() Early in life, she studied painting and sculpting. ![]() Grès was born Germaine Émilie Krebs to a middle-class French Jewish family and raised in Paris, France. Grès's minimalistic draping techniques and her attention to and respect for the female body have had a lasting effect on the haute couture and fashion industry, inspiring a number of recent designers. Grès, best known for her floor-length draped Grecian goddess gowns, is noted as the "master of the wrapped and draped dress" and the "queen of drapery". Remembered as the "Sphinx of Fashion", Grès was notoriously secretive about her personal life and was seen as a workaholic with a furious attention to detail, preferring to let her work do the talking. Madame Grès (1903–1993), also known as Alix Barton and Alix, was a leading French couturier and costume designer, founder of haute couture fashion house Grès as well as the associated Parfums Grès. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |