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 pair of bracelets 'rams'
By Madame Gres
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
GRÈS - (Made in France) Set of silvery metal 'rams' opening bracelets, Madame Grès by Robert Goossens, circa 1960. Not signed. Bibliography: Similar pattern on « Costume Jewelry for...
Madame Gres Paris Silvered Link Bracelet with Frosted Glass Cabochons
By Madame Gres
Located in Atlanta, GA
Madame Gres Paris designed this beautiful link bracelet in the 1980s. The piece features a modernist geometric design with silvered metal elements frames topped with opalescent, fros...
Silver Plate
Tiffany & Co. Estate Sterling Silver Bracelet 34.2 Grams
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Bracelet 7 Inches 34.2 Grams TIF102 This elegant Authentic Tiffany & Co bracelet is made of sterling silver and has a weight of 34.2 grams. TR...
Sterling Silver
$1,490Sale Price|21% Off
W 0.28 in L 6.75 in
10K Yellow Gold 3.0 Carat Diamond JAFA Tennis Bracelet 6.75 Inches
Located in Eagan, MN
I just love this bracelet. It is just so beautiful. Much nicer than most tennis bracelets, I think. It has rows and rows of beautiful, brilliant cut diamonds sectioned off between...
Diamond, Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
$5,343
H 0.32 in W 0.19 in L 6.65 in
Vintage French 1.30ct Sapphire and Diamond Yellow Gold Bracelet, circa 1940
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A stunning, fine and impressive 1.30 carat sapphire and 0.60 carat diamond, 18 karat yellow gold; part of our diverse antique jewelry and estate jewelry collections. This stunning, fine and impressive vintage sapphire bracelet...
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sterling Silver Turquoise Paneled Bracelet Old Pawn
Located in Wallkill, NY
Fabulous sterling silver paneled bracelet with a slide in clasp. Measuring .81 in wide - 7.5 inches end to end. 7 Panels each with a bezel set Turquoise stone. Will fit a 6" inch wr...
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Cuban Link 24 Karat Pure Yellow Gold Solid Bracelet, 65 Gm, Unisex , 8 INCH
Located in New York, NY
Hand Made 24 Karat Pure Yellow Gold Link Bracelet, 65 Gm, Length 8 Inch 8 Inches long bracelet Beautiful link design , A rare pure gold bracelet Weight of the bracelet is 65 Grams...
24k Gold, Yellow Gold
Diamonds Green Agate Rings Yellow Stones Rose Gold and Silver Link Bracelet
Located in Marcianise, Marcianise (CE)
Refine and elegant link bracelet in 9K rose gold and silver structure mounted with 8 yellow stones (3.31 g) and 8 green agate rings (2.40 g) adorned ...
Agate, Diamond, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
Tiffany & Co. 18K Yellow Gold Charm Bracelet
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Bethesda, MD
This exquisite Tiffany & Co. charm bracelet is crafted from luxurious 18-karat yellow gold and showcases the Tiffany's timeless elegance. Measuring 7 ¼ inches in length and weigh...
Yellow Gold
Jean Mahie 22k Yellow Gold Link Bracelet – Handcrafted Sculptural Design
By Jean Mahie
Located in Tampa, FL
Iconic 22 karat yellow gold bracelet by Jean Mahie, featuring the artist’s signature hand-formed sculptural links. This exceptional Jean Mahie 22k Yellow Gold Bracelet embodies the ...
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
$2,536Sale Price|20% Off
Bochic “Capri” Vintage Natural Ruby & Diamond Bracelet Set In 18K & Silver
By Bochic
Located in New York, NY
Bochic “Capri” Vintage Natural Ruby & Diamond Bracelet Set In 18K & Silver Natural Red Ruby - 24 Carats Natural White Diamonds - 4 Carats The Bochic "Capri" Opal & Mu...
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Silver
$1,235Sale Price|35% Off
Bochic “Capri” Vintage Natural Diamond & Turquoise Bracelet Set In 18K & Silver
By Bochic
Located in New York, NY
Bochic “Capri” Vintage Natural Diamond & Turquoise Bracelet Set In 18K & Silver Natural Turquoise Natural White Diamonds - 4 Carats The Bochic "Capri" Opal & Multi Fa...
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Silver
Vintage 14K Gold Closed Forever Bracelet
Located in Rotterdam, NL
A gorgeous vintage 14 karat gold closed forever bracelet with a typical closed forever clasp. The bracelet is suitable as a charms bracelet, on which charms with a sentimental value ...
14k Gold
$22,927
H 0.15 in W 0.51 in L 6.54 in
Antique French Art Deco 10.45 Carat Diamond and Platinum Bracelet Circa 1920
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A stunning, fine and impressive antique French 10.45 carat diamond and platinum Art Deco bracelet; part of our diverse collection of luxury diamond bracelets. This stunning, fine and impressive antique diamond bracelet has been crafted in platinum. The articulated bracelet is composed of ten pierced decorated, Art Deco style rectangular cut cornered links, conjoined with horizontal pales. Each link is ornamented with ten pavé set Old European round cut diamonds, accented with eight further eight-cut diamonds framing the conjunction of the connecting bar links. The horizontal pale articulated joining links are embellished with three further Old European round cut diamonds. The bracelet secures with a discreet, integrated push fit clasp and benefits from the added security of a safety chain. This stunning antique diamond bracelet is hallmarked to the tongue with the French platinum mark (dog's head) and the maker's mark. This stunning antique 1920's diamond bracelet is supplied with an IDGL diamond grading report card. Such antique bracelets in this combination are often set with lower grade diamonds, the high grade diamonds of this bracelet indicate the high quality of the piece. This stunning bracelet is one of the finest of its type you could hope to acquire. This 10 carat diamond bracelet...
Diamond, Platinum