A few Santa Monica Vintage Expos ago, Sandra Mendoza-Daly and I were browsing all the vintage goodies when we came across a dress on a mannequin that had a little handwritten sign below it.  The sign said something like this:

Dress by Madame Gres. If anyone has any info on this designer, please see me.

Sandra and I looked at each other, then we looked at the dress and lo and behold it was truly an early Madame Gres. We informed the dealer about the treasure on her hands and listened in awe to her story of how the dress just walked into her shop one day with someone who wanted to sell some of a relative’s old clothes.

For someone like myself, who immerses herself in fashion history on a regular basis, it’s hard to believe that Madame Gres could go unnoticed, particularly by an experienced dealer. After all, some would argue that Madame Gres was the greatest couturier in history! But unlike other legends whose names live on with much greater fanfare, Madame Gres’ story was more one of riches to rags than rags to riches.

When she passed away in 1993 she was alone and destitute and her daughter kept her death a secret from the world for over a year. The truth was finally revealed by a reporter shortly after the full-scale retrospective of her work at the Met’s Costume Institute closed.

Christian Dior once said, “Each dress she makes is a masterpiece,” and today’s VPOD is no exception.

This vintage 1970s Madame Gres ensemble features a simple dress with a magnificent cape top.

It’s a noteworthy find for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Rare Vintage.

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