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.
Madame Grès Paris Silk Scarf Multicolor Pastel Giant Flower Print, 1970s
By Madam Gres, Madame Gres
Located in Atlanta, GA
This exquisite Madame Grès Paris silk scarf features a lush design of a giant flower in pastel tones. This fashion accessory features the Grès Paris logo in the bottom-right corner. ...
VALENTINO Brown Olive Herringbone Wool Fringe Scarf
By Valentino
Located in San Francisco, CA
VALENTINO scarf in a brown and olive green wool woven fabric featuring a herringbone pattern and fringe ends.Very Good Pre-Owned Condition. Minor signs of wear. Measurements: 72...
Brand New Hermès Sichuan 90 Silk Scarf
By Hermès
Located in VALBONNE, FR
Brand New Hermès Sichuan 90 Silk Scarf, designed by Robert Dallet in 1995. 90 cm
Green & Multicolor Hermes Cashmere & Silk Robe du Soir Shawl
By Hermès
Located in New York, NY
Green and multicolor cashmere and silk-blend Robe du Soir shawl by Hermes. 52" height, 52" length.
Gucci “Coralli” Silk Scarf by Vittorio Accornero, 1968
By Gucci
Located in NICE, FR
A rare vintage Gucci “Coralli” silk scarf designed by the celebrated Italian illustrator Vittorio Accornero in 1968. Widely regarded as one of the most evocative compositions in Acco...
$620
Size: 87 × 87 cm (34.3 × 34.3 in)
Rare Chanel CC Logo Floral Silk Carré Scarf 87 cm Pink White Made in Italy
By Chanel
Located in TETOUAN, MA
An Exceptional and Rare Hermès "Torana" 90 cm Silk Carré Scarf Designed by the celebrated French artist Annie Faivre and first issued in 1988, Torana is one of Hermès' most admired ...
GIORGIO ARMANI Grey Blue Floral Silk Scarf Shawl
By Giorgio Armani
Located in San Francisco, CA
GIORGIO ARMANI scarf in a grey and blue silk featuring a floral pattern and picture frame border.Very Good Pre-Owned Condition. Minor marks. Measurements: 60 x 18 inches ...
Rare Hermès Le Laisser Courre Silk Carré 90 Scarf by Jean de Fougerolle
By Hermès
Located in TETOUAN, MA
A Rare Hermès "Le Laisser Courre" 90 cm Silk Carré Scarf Designed by the French artist Jean de Fougerolle and first introduced in 1979, Le Laisser Courre is one of Hermès' finest eq...
Rare Hermès "Vent Portant II (détail)" by Yannick Manier Silk Gavroche Scarf 45
By Hermès
Located in TETOUAN, MA
An Exceptional and Rare Hermès "Vent Portant II (détail)" Silk Gavroche Scarf Designed by the acclaimed French marine artist Yannick Manier and first introduced for Hermès' Spring/S...
TOM FORD Brown Grey Plaid Cashmere / Silk Scarves
By Tom Ford
Located in San Francisco, CA
TOM FORD scarf brown and grey plaid cashmere and silk blend woven with a fringe trim. Made in Italy.Excellent Pre-Owned Condition. Measurements: 63 inches x 30 inches ...
$645
H 27.56 in L 78.75 in
Rare Chanel Spring 2012 Cashmere Silk Rue Cambon Jacquard Scarf Made in France
By Chanel
Located in TETOUAN, MA
An elegant and increasingly collectible Chanel jacquard scarf from the Spring 2012 (12P) Collection, expertly crafted in France from a luxurious blend of 65% cashmere and 35% silk. C...
Vintage Hermès “Sous l’Égide de Mars” by P.Marie Rare 140 cm Cashmere Silk Shawl
By Hermès
Located in TETOUAN, MA
An exceptional Hermès Sous l’Égide de Mars GM shawl, designed by French artist Pierre Marie and distinguished by its elaborate composition inspired by ceremonial armor, heraldic orna...
CHANEL SCARV 100 % SILK, 97 cm x 93 cm, hand rolled
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Stuttgart, DE
CHANEL SCARV (Made in Italy) , 100 % Silk, hand rolled in best condition. Light blue background printed with white camillias and green leaves. Interspersd with the icoic gold CCs! A ...
Rare CHANEL Vintage 90cm Silk Scarf — Iconic Camellia CC & Gilded Chain
By Chanel
Located in TETOUAN, MA
An Elegant and Rare Chanel Camellia CC & Gold Chain Silk Scarf This refined vintage Chanel scarf embodies the timeless elegance and distinctive visual language of the House. Expertly crafted in France from luxurious 100% silk twill, it features a sophisticated composition centered around Chanel's iconic interlocking CC motif, beautifully filled with delicate white Camellia blossoms and framed by an elaborate gilded chain border. The soft mint-green and cream palette creates an elegant, understated background for the richly rendered gold chain and floral composition. The contrast between the delicate botanical imagery and the bold chain motif gives the scarf a particularly sophisticated character, while the generous square format and fluid silk drape make it exceptionally versatile for both classic and contemporary styling. Finished with traditional hand-rolled edges, this elegant carré represents a particularly appealing example of Chanel's enduring approach to luxury silk accessories, combining instantly recognizable House iconography with refined decorative artistry. Why This Piece Is Worth the Investment Timeless Chanel Iconography This scarf brings together several of Chanel's most enduring visual signatures: the iconic interlocking CC logo, the Camellia flower so closely associated with Gabrielle Chanel, and the classic chain motif that has become one of the House's defining decorative elements. The central CC composition, surrounded by abundant Camellia blossoms and enclosed within a continuous gilded chain border, creates a harmonious dialogue between floral delicacy and graphic strength. It is precisely this combination of recognizable Chanel symbolism and sophisticated composition that makes vintage Chanel silk scarves...
Hermes grey orange CAMAILS 90 silk twill Scarf
By Hermès
Located in Zürich, CH
Hermes 'Camails 90' scarf designed by Francoise De La Perriere in grey, neon orange, papaya, burgundy, ocre and white Silk Twill (100%). Brand new. Width 90cm (35.1in) Height 90cm (...
Hermes Cotton Scarf, Les Chevaux Se Rendent Au Depart
By Hermès
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Hermes Cotton Scarf, Les Chevaux Se Rendent Au Depart, designed by Laurent Cresp. 26.5 by 26.5 in. Condition Report Good condition.
Madame Gres 1970s Silk Scarf 34"x34"
By Madame Gres
Located in Port Hope, ON
This is a beautiful scarf by the couture house of Madame Gres, established in France in 1932. Gres was born Germaine Emilie Krebs and raised in Paris. Her first love was painting an...
Gres Paris Square Silk Blue Green and Tan Lily Flower Print Scarf
By Madame Gres
Located in London, GB
Square Grès Paris silk scarf with hand rolled edges, featuring lovely tan lilies on a mid blue, pale blue and sea green geometric print background. Measurin...
1980s Madame Gres Silk Scarf
By Madame Gres
Located in Port Hope, ON
Gorgeous colors and graphics! This silk scarf could well be a painting. The scarf is in great condition, the care tag still attached and the hem nice and plump.
Madame Gres Silk Scarf in Original Box
By Madame Gres
Located in New Hope, PA
A graphic multi color floral design is set against a mocha colored background and bordered with a wide black band. The scarf is signed in the lower left corner. It has never been w...