More Paris Couture

 Thanks for all your “safe travelling” wishes — yesterday was a long day, 13 hours in transit by the time I walked in the door and put my suitcase down, my feet up.

And, as I said yesterday, I’m spending today with my granddaughter Nola.

 So once again, I’m drawing from my bank of photos of the Madame Grès exhibit that I believe is still on at the Musée Antoine Bourdelle in Paris. A wonderful exhibition I’ve already posted aboutthree times.

 You should be able to click to enlarge any of these photos — and it’s really worth taking the time to do so, especially for these marvellous sketches by Madame. It’s also worth looking closely at the intricacy of the pleating details in the cream evening robes below (an interpretive sign puts one of these at 1964, and notes that it’s made of silk jersey — a favourite textile of Mme. Grès’s).

And that’s all I’m going to say about these, as I’m conserving time for someone very important — but I’d love, as always, to hear what you have to say. . . .

10 Comments

  1. LPC
    2 June 2011 / 3:19 pm

    I find her silhouettes so appealing. I wonder if that's in any way because she's a she?

  2. hostess of the humble bungalow
    2 June 2011 / 3:36 pm

    I love her use of white.
    The shapes and details are much more defined in a solid colour.

    Have fun with Nola!

  3. Susan Tiner
    2 June 2011 / 4:53 pm

    Have a beautiful day with Nola!

  4. Marguerite
    2 June 2011 / 5:08 pm

    Glad you are back safe and sound, Mater. Is it time for a new travel bag? My DH and I love our TUMI brand carry on bags. I so enjoy your delight in Miss Nola. One of my dear friends has a granddaughter the same age, so I know how she delights you. I'm still waiting for that day when I'm blessed with the next generation. Rumor has it being summer 2012! Yippee

  5. pavlova
    2 June 2011 / 5:50 pm

    What a long travel day! Drawings and dresses are
    exquisite….I adore the draping and pleating and would feel
    so regal wearing one of her creations. Hope you have a
    relaxing weekend planned.

  6. indigo16
    2 June 2011 / 10:29 pm

    I think the' white dresses' are toiled white calico versions of the real thing. Hope you are having fun with Nola, I am looking forward to the RA summer show tomorrow, not so much the art but the fun of guerrilla photo's!

  7. Tiffany
    3 June 2011 / 5:13 am

    Those white dresses are amazing. I can't imagine how long it takes to do that sort of precise pleating … they're incredibly structured but fluid at the same time.

  8. Duchesse
    3 June 2011 / 2:40 pm

    I have not seen, before or since, draping done so finely. Just watched a doc on Yves St. Laurent and was struck by how relatively out of date the clothes from the 70s looked- the 80s, more so. Hers really do look timeless.

  9. materfamilias
    3 June 2011 / 2:52 pm

    Lisa: I wonder. . . although it seems to me that there are female designers who don't achieve this and male ones who do, so . . . I think, though, that there's something about her chosen approach, the pleating, that suits the female body (and more versions of that body)
    Hostess: I found the details well defined in some of the coloured (and multi-coloured) pieces, but I think the simplicity of the white allows one to concentrate better on those details.
    Susan: We had a great day!
    Marguerite: I'll check out the Tumi — thanks for the recommendation.

  10. materfamilias
    3 June 2011 / 2:58 pm

    Oh, and Marguerite, I should add, "Yippee"and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
    Pavlova: Yes, regal indeed.
    Alison: There was, indeed, one muslin on display, but this trio of white/cream dresses were the original couture dresses, provenances clearly labeled, and they were silk jersey or viscose jersey, according to those labels.
    Tiffany: I know! They're so brilliant — she was so clearly a sculpture at heart.
    Duchesse: That's what struck me so — there wasn't a dress there that could not have been worn right now — and not necessarily looked like vintage except that it couldn't be identified as fitting in with any current trend.

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