Dress
Madame Alix Grès' career spanned five decades and throughout them all she excelled in her ability to manipulate fabric and use its innate characteristics to enhance her designs. She executed flowing body-skimming garments inspired by Greek dress; minimalist, sculptural forms and voluminous, dramatic shapes. This dress not only expresses Grès' minimalist sentiments, it also includes classical quotations. Geometry, seen in the wedge-shaped, form-fitting waistband and the triangular gussets that create angles in the sleeves, give the garment its structure. Cashmere knit lends itself to the soft, classical pleating in the bodice and skirt. The use of asymmetry, a Grès trademark, serves to create visual interest without the use of additional surface decoration.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dress
- Designer: Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) (French, Paris 1903–1993 Var region)
- Date: spring/summer 1974
- Culture: French
- Medium: wool, silk
- Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., 1988
- Object Number: 2009.300.1050a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1982
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
1981–83
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1980
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
1960s
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1968
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.