Grès
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion, Fragrance |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Madame Grès (Germaine Émilie Krebs) |
| Defunct | 2012 (boutique closure) |
| Headquarters | Switzerland (for Parfums Grès) , Switzerland |
| Products | Haute couture fashion, fragrances |
Grès was a distinguished French haute couture label established by Madame Grès in 1942. The affiliated fragrance brand, Parfums Grès, continues to operate and is currently headquartered in Switzerland.
History
Germaine Émilie Krebs (1903–1993), who initially used the name Alix Barton and later became known as "Madame Grès", reintroduced her fashion atelier under the name Grès in Paris during 1942. In the 1930s, she designed under the names "Alix" or "Alix Grès". With a background in sculpture, she crafted haute couture pieces for prominent figures such as the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Dolores del Río. Her hallmark was the use of cut-out elements that elegantly combined exposed skin with timeless refinement. Remarkably, she was among the final couture designers to embrace ready-to-wear collections, which she openly criticized as "prostitution."
The brand name Grès partially originated from an anagram of her husband's first name and pseudonym; Serge Czerefkov, a Russian artist who departed shortly after the house was founded. After enjoying years of critical acclaim, Madame Grès sold her company in the 1980s to Yagi Tsucho, a Japanese corporation. They appointed Lloyd Klein as creative director, managing 46 licenses across Paris and Japan. Klein earned one of the industry’s top remunerations at that time: 150,000 FRF per month plus an annual payment of 12 million FRF. Upon Madame Grès' passing, Klein left to pursue his fashion lines in New York. By 2012, the final Grès boutique in Paris had ceased operations.
The creations of Grès are displayed at the Palais Galliera museum in Paris.
Style
Grès was celebrated for its Grecian-inspired, flowing gowns that echoed the founder’s sculptural expertise.
Parfums Grès
The house’s iconic scent, Cabochard, developed by Bernard Chant and introduced in 1958, was still available as of January 2017. Following the company’s acquisition, the fragrance range expanded with new releases including:
- Cabotine (1990)
- Folie Douce (1997)
- Cabaret (2003)
- Caline (2005)
- Caline Night (2006)
- Sphinx Hommage à Greta Garbo, a tribute perfume honoring actress Greta Garbo
Biography
- Laurence Benaïm, Madame Grès, Editions Assouline, 1999 (in French)
- Patricia Mears, Madame Grès: Sphinx of Fashion, Yale University Press, 2008