The best way to enter the new year is always in a new, possibly Haute Couture, dress, but you don't have to be rich to do so. You can indeed pick your favourite design from thousands of archives all over the world (a hobby we developed in previous years) and dream about your perfect gown from different times and fashion styles.
An idea for today? This sculptural pink silk velvet evening gown from Madame Grès' Autumn/Winter 1956-57 collection, from the archives at Palais Galliera (the dress was worn by Miss Hardion, the wife of a French ambassador, and frequent client of Madame Grès).
For her pleated evening dresses Madame Grès usually employed a silk jersey mixed with viscose, while this bustier-style garment is one of the few examples of her pleating technique applied to another fabric.
The gown features wonderful pleated motifs that transformed the wearer into a statuesque goddess. Fashion students who love analysing construction details please note (as highlighted by the Palais Galliera site) the quantities of fabric used for the skirt that is held in place solely by chevron pleats on the hip that drape downwards to form broad pointed pleats on the side.
The dress was restored for a Madame Grès exhibition at the MoMu Fashion Museum in Antwerp. To flatten the dress without squashing the velvet, the design was laid on a soft pillow, then, on the back side, restorers applied a layer of Gore-Tex and a moist blotting paper and, on top of that, small bags of sand for the weight.
This year is also a double anniversary for Madame Grès who was born in November 1903 and died in November 1993, so it's her 120 birth anniversary and the 30th anniversary from her death. Time to celebrate the new year, remember an iconic designer and, well, get adored and revered like a goddess! Happy New Year!
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