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Evening dress

1987
Not on view
Conspicuous and selective areas of nudity are always more provocative than total nudity. Grès's calculated bareness invariably suggests more revelation of the body than is actual. The designer is on the wearer's side in seeking unequivocal control over exposure. But a leaf motif on the white dress does not perform as in nature; Grès anchors the apparently meandering leaf to cover the breast as patently and securely as she creates a diagonal across the other. Here, the sheer organza that veils the bodice tantalizes further. Grès created a smoke-colored organza wrap to go with this dress that played even more on the idea of nudity and transparency.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Evening dress
  • Designer: Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) (French, Paris 1903–1993 Var region)
  • Date: 1987
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: silk
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Randolph Hearst, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.486.17a, b
  • Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Ensemble, Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) French, linen, French
Ensemble
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1982
Ensemble, Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) French, angora, probably French
Ensemble
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
1981–83
Evening ensemble, Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) French, silk, French
Evening ensemble
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1980
Bracelet, Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) French, plastic, French
Bracelet
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
1960s
Evening ensemble, Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) French, silk, French
Evening ensemble
Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs)
ca. 1968

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