Berlin's Kunstgewerbemuseum Opens Retrospective on Forgotten Couturier Madame Grès

The Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin has opened "Many Shades of Grès," a retrospective dedicated to Germaine Émilie Krebs, known as Madame Grès. The exhibition, running until October 11, 2026, features 25 garments by the French couturier displayed across nine rooms, alongside accessories, drawings, and student works. Madame Grès rose to prominence in the 1930s, creating dresses for Hollywood stars like Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Grace Kelly. In 1932, she opened the salon "Alix Couture," specializing in sportswear and hats. After traveling to the Middle East in 1936, she was inspired by Mariano Fortuny's Delphos gown and shifted toward fluid, draped forms. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, she refused to dress German officers' wives and showed only blue, white, and red garments; her house was closed in 1943. She resumed work after the Liberation. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Berlin University of Applied Sciences' School of Culture and Design, juxtaposing her iconic pieces with contemporary student interpretations. Her archive is preserved by the Grès family, and key garments are held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Palais Galliera, and Victoria & Albert Museum.