From September 12th, 2012 till February 10th, 2013 MoMu presents MADAME GRÈS. Sculptural Fashion, an overview of the work of the Parisian couturier, Madame Grès (1903– 1993).

Madame Grès felt herself as much a sculptor as a fashion designer: ‘I wanted to become a sculptor. For me, working with stone or fabrics is the same thing.’
She draped or pleated the fabric directly onto the model, without artificial devices and mostly without using scissors and needles, so that she also came to be known as the pioneer of seamless garments. In the fifty years of her career, her work went through a range of stylistic periods, from Hellenistic, draped evening dresses to modern, minimalist daytime garments and stylish beachwear, always in her own specific style: sober, timeless, sculptural and utterly feminine.

Conceptually, the design of the exhibition at the Fashion Museum will be consistent with the sculptural fashion of Madame Grès. To achieve this, MoMu will work with the Belgian artist Renato Nicolodi, who has designed new elements and installations for the exhibition spaces and will also exhibit own work. His archetypal, minimalist and classically inspired works take on a stimulating dialogue with the work of Madame Grès.

MoMu welcomes and recomposes the retrospective of Madame Grès from musée Gallièra, musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, which was pre- sented in 2011 at the musée Bourdelle in Paris. This exhibition reunites Madame Grès silhouettes originating mostly from the Gallièra collections as well as some private collections.