A true mistress of couture who was considered a genius by her peers, Madame Grès (1903-1993) influenced the history of fashion. A special exhibition at the Bourdelle Museum.

This is the first Paris retrospective dedicated to Madame Grès  (1903-1993). A mistress of couture who was adored by her peers, Madame Grès repeated throughout her life, “I wanted to be a sculptor. For me, working with fabric or stone is the same thing”.
In the world of fashion, she was the pioneer of an intransigent minimalism. The sculpted dresses of Madame Grès have found a home at the Bourdelle Museum. The exhibition showcases 80 creations from the collections of the Galliera Museum, as well as loans from private collectors and contemporary designers.
In 1933, the styles of the future Madame Grès – whose real name was Germaine Krebs – were already well-known within the Alix fashion house. In 1942, Germaine Krebs opened her own fashion house under the name Grès, which she managed until 1988. She dreamt of a seamless garment and following this dream she invented an economy of line and volume which was intentionally timeless. A Madame Grès masterpiece can be recognised by its purity – the apparent simplicity of her art always hides the extreme complexity of her skill.

Her most beautiful creations
The exhibition  allows visitors to discover her most beautiful creations: evening dresses – drapes which in 1976 earned her a Dé d’or (Golden Thimble). Created between the 30s and the 80s, always in jersey and often ivory or pearl grey, these sculptural dresses have radiantly withstood the test of time. They were photographed by Richard Avedon and Guy Bourdin and widely featured in women’s magazines. Her dresses and coats remain an inspiration for couturiers and designers today.

Exhibition organiser
Olivier Saillard, Director of the Galliera Museum
Laurent Cotta, responsible for contemporary creations
Sylvie Lécallier, responsible for the photographic collection
Practical information
Until 24 July, Bourdelle Museum
16 rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris - Metro : Montparnasse - Bienvenüe / Falguière
Tel.: 01 49 54 73 73
www.bourdelle.paris.fr
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm except public holidays