Cocktail dress

Designs by Jacques Griffe often reveal the imprint of his mentor Madeleine Vionnet (1876–1975), for whom he worked as a cutter from 1936 to 1939. Although Griffe did not always embrace her ideal of simplicity, his work echoes her masterful approach to cut and draping and her commitment to exacting standards of workmanship. His own house label displayed his name and fingerprint, a further tribute to Vionnet, who had employed the same device. It was a mark of authenticity and originality, directly connecting the design to its creator through a unique signature. This literal trace of the hand seems fitting for a designer of great technical skill who highlighted the superb handwork of the couture, favoring embellishments produced through deft manipulations of fabric, including complex shirring, pleating, and tucking. Here, Griffe adorned an expansive skirt with shirred bands of taffeta that form chevron patterning and subtly increase in width from waist to hemline, complementing the graduated fullness of the silhouette.