I am returned from Paris! It was all perfectly wonderful, plenty of wandering (some aimless, some not…), drinking, eating and all other lovely things. I will blog a little more about events on my birthday, but I thought I would start off with the visual feast that was the Madame Grès exhibition at the
Musée Bourdelle. Everything about it was a treat. The museum itself is a fantastic space; a mixture of old studios and purpose built exhibition spaces. The Grès pieces have been inserted within the permanent exhibition, and also in larger dedicated sections. You weave your way through the numbered rooms, which seem to go on forever (which is wonderful, unless you’re slightly concerned about catching your Eurostar back home…but we still managed to soak it all up!).
I have to emphasise how much of a honour it was to be able to see the dresses up close. I mean, really up close. Everyone was respectful of the ‘do not touch’ signs, so often a problem in the UK I fear, and it shows off the dresses to perfection. Grès was a designer who was all about the detail, the finest pleats and the most delicate of stitching. I couldn’t stop snapping; quite frankly, I think I forgot that I wasn’t photographing listings for my website (I should be so lucky!).
My favourite designers are always those who rarely move with the winds of fashion. Idiosyncrasy is my favourite word. The exhibit cleverly juxtaposes her early pieces with the later ones, as well as with Bourdelle’s sculptures – since sculpture was her inspiration and, I think, her vocation. I should have made more notes about dates, but I can tell you that the one immediately below this text is from 1980 (just before she went bankrupt, her House was sold and her archives destroyed). At the top of the page, the two tomato-red jersey dresses are twenty years apart in production. It’s extraordinary, and to be admired. Her skill was unmistakeable, it didn’t need to follow trends or chase notoriety and scandal.
Enjoy!
Dreamiest coat in the world
Shades of grey
Choir of angels
I can’t resist a buffle
Can you believe this dress is from 1946?
Liz Eggleston 
Gorgeous post Miss Peelpants..i've been eyeing up that exhibition from afar for a couple of months now…yeah that green dress from '46 is one of my faves,truly is a beauty ..glad you a nice birthday,lovely way to spend it ; )
Oh mercy me! Absolutely stunning. Laurax
Welcome back! Sooo much loveliness, but yes that coat is the dreamiest I've seen in a while. xxx
Beautiful pictures, thank you. I can see you in that coat!
Wow wow wow, I would love to see this exhibition. Absolutely stunning xx
J'ÉTAIS À L'EXPO, C'ÉTAIT SUBLIME DE VOIR CE TRAVAIL DE SCULPTURE SUR LE TISSUS, DE PLUS DANS CES ATELIERS MERVEILLEUX DE BOURDELLE ! STÉPHANE
Such a beautiful and elegant collection!www.thesocialbuyer.com
I am definitely going to see this! Thanks for the recommendation!
Hi my dear-great to see you on Saturday and what a stunning exhibition, those dresses are exquisite and your photos are really lovely too xx
Holy crap, these are stunning! Thank you so much for sharing.
I'm dying to go to this xx