Return to Nan Kempner
Although Mrs. Kempner's collection reveals a strong loyalty to Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Oscar de la Renta, in the 1960s and 1970s she was enthralled by the work of Madame Grès. In the October 10, 1979, edition of The New York Times she noted, "I have Grès dresses going back twenty years. I use them like a library." Mrs. Kempner's number of Grès pieces, small relative to her other favored designers, nonetheless comprise a survey of Mme. Grès's best efforts. Pleated silk jerseys such as these two examples document the most iconic styles, but alpaca jersey examples and an innovative silk crepe model on view in the exhibition represent lesser known modes.
Mrs. Kempner's silhouette of preference for formal evening dress was the narrow "column" gown. In addition, she subscribed to the notion of bareness as an aspect of nighttime glamour. Sometimes, this was expressed in a wide, off-the-shoulder or "bateau" design, but more typically it was seen in her advocacy of a plunging front or back neckline. In this gown of elegant simplicity, Mrs. Kempner has selected a dress that inverts her usual pairing of a white bodice or shirt with a black skirt. Yves Saint Laurent's sensual juxtaposition of a black velvet bodice with the liquid drape of ivory silk crepe serves to highlight the sharp "V" of her décolleté in a dramatic "Madame X" contrast. See an alternate view of this ensemble.
In the early 1980s, when Diana Vreeland sought to represent the best of contemporary haute couture in the galleries of The Costume Institute, she selected Yves Saint Laurent as the focus of her groundbreaking exhibition on the work of a living designer. As a master of the traditions of haute couture, Saint Laurent simply had no equal. For many women of elegance, including Mrs. Kempner, the Saint Laurent style for a time surpassed all others as a source of unwaveringly elegant and technically refined clothes for day and night. In a period of more than 40 years, Mrs. Kempner acquired almost 600 examples of this master's work. Although she clearly had an affinity for Saint Laurent's man-tailored designs, especially "Le Smoking"—his version of a tuxedo for women—and his pantsuits, she was equally seduced by his sensuous evening dresses. Saint Laurent's mastery of drapery is evident in Mrs. Kempner's choices, whether in chiffon, satin, or silk crepe. Her gowns also represent the designer's famously sensitive yet audacious use of color. The Saint Laurent palette has been compared to the vivid hues of a Matisse painting or the set designs for a Diaghilev ballet, but they are, on closer study, distinctly the designer's own. See an alternate view of this ensemble.
Among the most notable pieces in Mrs. Kempner's collection of haute couture is the evening domino by Yves Saint Laurent. In a direct reference to the voluminous evening coats from the golden age of postwar Parisian style, the Saint Laurent version in heavy silk faille merges the sumptuous romanticism of Christian Dior with the sculptural drama of Cristobal Balenciaga. See a an alternate view.
See an alternate view of this ensemble.
Unlike Saint Laurent, who flirted with androgynous and subtly transgressive effects, Valentino prefers an elegance that is consistently inflected by an alluring prettiness. A designer whose work is notable for its advocacy of the unambiguously feminine, Valentino addresses Mrs. Kempner's requirements for comfort and glamour with this pleated evening gown in the designer's signature color, the brilliant Valentino red. Executed in silk chiffon, this gown is an example of the Valentino atelier's unsurpassed skill in working with a fragile and particularly difficult fabric. The gown sheathes the body while the fullness of the skirt suggests an airiness and freedom of movement. Mrs. Kempner met Valentino when he was an assistant to Jean Dessès, a designer noted for his virtuosity with draped effects. To this day, his rigorous early apprenticeship with Dessès informs Valentino's work.