Madame Alix Grès' career spanned five decades and throughout them all she excelled in her ability to manipulate fabric and use its innate characteristics to enhance her designs. She executed flowing body-skimming garments inspired by Greek dress; minimalist, sculptural forms and voluminous, dramatic shapes. This dress not only expresses Grès' minimalist sentiments, it also includes classical quotations. Geometry, seen in the wedge-shaped, form-fitting waistband and the triangular gussets that create angles in the sleeves, give the garment its structure. Cashmere knit lends itself to the soft, classical pleating in the bodice and skirt. The use of asymmetry, a Grès trademark, serves to create visual interest without the use of additional surface decoration.