Madame Gres – Goddess of Drape: Review of ‘Madame Gres: Couture at Work’, Musee Bourdelle, Paris 25th March – 28th August 2011

With the revived importance attached to object based research for fashion scholars and its obvious significance to fashion designers, the Madame Gres retrospective at the Musee Bourdelle in Paris, promoted an ideal opportunity to analyse her work in close detail. As fashion historian Valerie Steele (1998) commented; “Object based research provides unique insights into the historic and aesthetic development of fashion” (p.27). It allows the researcher to analyse the history, material, construction, design, and function of garments. This can be achieved through touching, feeling and by trying clothes on. The fashion scholar can gain an understanding about a garments cultural significance and its impact on fashion design and technology. The designer or pattern cutter can be inspired by the design and construction of the garment, its fabrication, colour and cut.