Rare 1950s Madame Gres licensed Black & Grey Embroidered Dress w/ Bolero Jacket

Description

Intriguing black dress by Madame Gres. Produced by G. Mendes.
This dress features a beautiful mesh fabric that is embroidered throughout and a bolero jacket to match with an incredible button closure. The dress has an A line silhouette with the top half being made from a soft breathable black silk.

Jacket Measurements:
Length : 14"
Bust: 40"

Born in Paris, around the turn of the 20th century, Madame Grès (nee Germaine Émilie Krebs, AKA Alix Barton, Alix) pursued sculpture before turning her interests towards fashion. Grès was initially a hat maker, but her eye for design soon propelled her into haute couture dressmaking. By the 1930s, Grès had made a name for herself and counted a number of famous women in her client list, including: Wallis Simpson - the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Matilda of Greece, Paloma Picasso, Grace Kelly, Marella Agnelli, Marie-Helene de Rothschild, Edith Piaf, Jacqueline Kennedy, Dolores del Río, Barbra Streisand, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo.

During the German occupation of France in World War II, Madame Grès was ordered to design stark, utilitarian clothing, but defied the occupation government and continued to design sumptuous dresses in the red, white and blue of the French tricolour flag. Bewilderingly, despite being Jewish, German officers were said to have asked Grès to design dresses for their wives. Grès bravely refused. Both her refusal to design for the wives of occupying officers, and her refusal to design drab garments, played a part in the forced closing of her design house; her plenteous use of fabric during wartime was the excuse given.

Grès career stretched across several decades, and her designs still remain timeless and unparalleled.

DIMENSIONS
D 40 in.
D 101.6 cm
MARKED SIZE
2 See Measurements (US)
BUST
36 in. (91.44 cm)
WAIST
26 in. (66.04 cm)
HIP
56 in. (142.24 cm)
LENGTH
40 in. (101.6 cm)