1970's Madame Grès Haute Couture Beaded Embroidered Ivory Sheer Silk Bridal Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Hip: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Style:1970s (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful condition.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU30918492632
Madame Gres
Forever credited with having altered the fashion world with her pleated silk dresses, Madame Grès was one of the greatest couturiers of the 20th century. She defied the orders of Nazi soldiers and designed gowns and evening dresses that mirrored the colors and pattern of the French flag, working by hand with material that hung directly from live models. A consummate artist, Grès created garments that were demonstrative of exemplary construction and meticulous attention to detail — her signature floor-length gowns left a lasting impact on every aspect of haute couture.
Born Germaine Émilie Krebs to a French Jewish family in Paris, Grès initially studied painting and sculpture. For her, making dresses and working in sculpture were one and the same, and she pursued a career in fashion. Grès worked in millinery and was trained in haute couture dressmaking at the illustrious House of Prémet.
Grès opened her inaugural couture fashion house in 1932, and within a couple of years she began working under the name Alix Barton — the surname came from her coworker, couturier Julie Barton — calling her business La Maison Alix and creating gowns until 1942 in what became her signature style. She perfected modern pleating techniques and worked directly on live models, mostly with generous amounts of silk jersey and airy silk paper taffeta. Her designs showed the influence of Greco-Roman sculpture and would go on to help shape the work of Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander and Azzedine Alaïa, who also thought of haute couture as sculpture.
Grès’s work was photographed by the likes of Horst P. Horst, and her gowns for Jean Giraudaux’s play The Trojan War Will Not Take Place in 1935 established her as a leading designer, though Nazi occupation stalled her growth.
During WWII, Grès refused to design the utilitarian garb that German forces requested and instead made clothes using the colors of the French flag as her own act of rebellion. Ultimately, she was forced to close her boutique in Paris. The designer married Russian painter Serge Czerefkov, changed her name to Grès — which is how her husband signed his name — and fled to the Pyrenees before returning to establish her second couture house under her new name.
Madame Grès’s second maison was widely successful and attracted a long list of rich and powerful clientele ranging from movie stars to royalty. A single dress could take hundreds of hours to complete. Some of the couturier’s clients became deeply loyal over the course of her career, including the Duchess of Windsor, Oscar-winning actresses Grace Kelly and Greta Garbo, iconic Tiffany & Co. jewelry designer Paloma Picasso and former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Grès guarded her personal life closely and let her delicate, impeccable work speak for itself.
Original Madame Grès evening dresses and gowns, coats, jackets and day dresses, which transformed women into Greek deities, are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum at FIT and the Musée Bourdelle.
“Her dresses were about a sense of power, strength and beauty, not objectification,” explains Patricia Mears, deputy director of the Museum at FIT and author of Madame Grès: Sphinx of Fashion. “Everyone knows Chanel, Dior and Saint Laurent,” Mears says, “but I believe that the great triumvirate was Madeleine Vionnet, Balenciaga and Madame Grès — those who knew how to make clothes with their own hands, couturiers in the old sense of the word.”
Find vintage Madame Grès clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vintage 1970's Halston Couture Red Metallic Sheer Knit Long-Sleeve Dress GownBy HalstonLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGorgeous Halston Couture metallic lurex knit dress ensemble dating back to the mid 1970's. Throughout most of the seventies he epitomized the glamour, as well as the decadence of the...Category
1970s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1998 Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Sheer Illusion Appliqué Net Lace GownBy Oscar De La Renta, Pierre Balmain Haute CoutureLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking Pierre Balmain haute couture runway gown from when Oscar de la Renta was head designer. The House of Balmain always creates a...Category
1990s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 2004 Gucci by Tom Ford Rare Runway Black Silk Crystal-Snake Finale DressBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking and extremely rare 2004 Gucci runway finale dress by the famous designer, Tom Ford. This iconic show-stopper is fashioned from the highest quality sheer black silk-organ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Embroidered Patchwork Cotton Maxi Dress Worn By Zsa Zsa GaborLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA vibrant, early 1970's Joann Lopez designer embroidered cotton dress straight from Zsa Zsa Gabor's wardrobe. This dress dates back to the h...Category
1970s American Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1970s Givenchy Colorful Stripe Silk-Chiffon Billow Sleeve Bohemian DressBy Givenchy, Givenchy Nouvelle BoutiqueLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGivenchy, the name itself evokes glamour, refined elegance, simplicity and style. Givenchy’s trademark of flowing lines and print fabrics make his work easily recognizable. This gorg...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Sant' Angelo Blue Cloud Print Chiffon Off-Shoulder Maxi DressBy Giorgio di Sant' AngeloLocated in Beverly Hills, CABeautiful and highly desirable Giorgio Sant' Angelo designer dress ensemble dating back to the late 1970's. He first hit the fashion scene when Diana Vreeland asked him to create clo...Category
1970s American Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Leonard of Paris Pastel Silk Chiffon Day / Evening DressBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYPretty pastel silk chiffon Leonard of Paris special occasion day / evening dress. Bodice has a ruffled capelet that flows from the center of the dress...Category
Late 20th Century French Day Dresses
- Leonard of Paris Fuschia Multi Color Silk Chiffon Strapless GownBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYVintage Leonard of Paris bright and flirty ruffled silk chiffon cocktail dress / evening gown, unmarked size, approximately US 6. Featuring four layer...Category
Late 20th Century French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- ALAÏA 1990 black knitted mini dressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Genève, CHAlaïa knitted mini dress with sheer raised edge skirt -Back closing with a hidden set zipper -Long sleeves -Nude knitted lining -Made in Italy -100% V...Category
1990s Italian Mini Dress
- ALBERTO BINI 1990 leather mini dress with gold tone Lion NEW with tagBy AlbertoLocated in Genève, CHThis vintage dress from Alberto Bini is coming directly from the 90s, and it's also a beautiful ode to Versace universe. -Lion detail in metal gold tone ...Category
1980s French Mini Dress
- HERMES Unworn Baroque Bodycon lycra Mini dress, 90sBy HermèsLocated in Genève, CHBeautiful vintage Hermès lycra sleeveless mini dress, from 90s period. This light turquoise/yellow/cream baroque print Hermes dress is in perfect conditio...Category
1990s Italian Mini Dress
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Two-Piece Beaded Gown by Puerto Rican Designer David Fernandez Is the Embodiment of 1970s Glam
On the Met Gala red carpet, this vintage ensemble would bring the heat.
Madonna Wore the Same Plunging Azzedine Alaïa Design on the Cover of ‘Cosmo’ in 1987
The gold silk stunner was part of a knockout collection that changed the trajectory of Alaïa's then-troubled brand.