As I have said before, one of the most rewarding parts of partnering with the Paris American Academy is having access to incredible fashion industry professionals. This post will focus on two professors: Mme. Collette Picot and Mme. Muriel Ivagnes. Our time with these two amazing women began with a lecture and demonstration by Mme. Picot about her long-time employer, Mme. Gres. For those of you who don't know, Mme. Gres was an icon of 20th century fashion who worked with a fabric manufacturer to create a special silk jersey that she draped in a unique, sculptural way. Well, actually, as we discovered, Mme. Gres didn't do much of the draping, although she was the mastermind behind the process, there were five women, one of which was Mme. Picot, who gained the status of master draper in the Gres company and who made all the couture gowns. The lecture was very moving, because Mme. Gres had a fascinating life.
After the lecture, Mme. Picot, along with Mme. Ivagnes (who, herself, worked for Nina Ricci haute couture for 35 years)taught us to drape jersey using the Mme. Gres method. They were so patient with us! No matter how hard we tried, though, when Mme. Picot came by, she would put her magical hands on the work and transform it into pure perfection!
They taught us to make the leaf shape that is seen in the Gres dress in the photo. So many pleats and pins! But the result is exquisite. My mind rambles with ideas of how I plan to use my piece. The technique can be applied in many ways.
The dresses Mme. Picot showed us, though, took so much time and fabric! Over 350 hours and 15 yards of fabric....
At the end, Mme. Picot and Mme. Ivagnes were gracious enough to pose with the first group and Professor Farrell.
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