When we meet, Jean Paul Gaultier – he has been in town for fewer than 24 hours yet he seems chirpy,
jet lag free and thrilled to be at the National Gallery of Victoria,
surrounded by his collection.
This is the 10th stop for The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, which he flew in to launch. But, despite the repetition that comes with a travelling exhibition, Gaultier is excitable, as if this is the first time, because fashion – even that which he creates – has a way of drawing attention to new details every time you view it.
“I noticed some tulle in a dress I forgot I had created,” he says, pointing to a gown in the yonder.
“The way the light draws your attention to certain pieces reminds you of things you once forgot. I have been designing for 38 years so it’s easy to forget every intricate detail to every dress.”
His beautiful French accent, wave of silver hair and childlike smile draw attention to the first corset dress he designed in the early ’80s. It is in the boudoir part of the exhibition’s themed rooms. This early dress is where Gaultier’s now famous cone-bra concept began, before the look was made famous by Madonna on her Blond Ambition tour. As a young boy, Gaultier drew cone-like impressions on his teddy bear called Nana – she is also featured behind glass.
“There is nobody like Madonna,” he says. “She directs herself, is talented, tough and interesting. She inspires women and men to follow her. She rules her own world.”
The relationship between the designer and his muse drew much interest and Gaultier admits he was always attracted to Madonna’s enigmatic presence. He always attracted to Madonna’s enigmatic energy. He says he first saw her on television singing Like A Virgin and was gobsmacked by her mix of sexy moves and religious connotations.
“I proposed to her three times, but she refused me every time,” he says, revealing something he’s kept under his hat for decades. But he then adds, “People change, and we don’t speak much anymore.”
On his first visit to Melbourne, Gaultier says he
adores the city’s European charm and is impressed by the the
transformation of the NGV to accommodate his creations.
Gaultier earned his stripes gradually in the fickle fashion industry but now he’s a household name, an international fashion week regular who, in September, announced he will stop designing ready-to-wear collections and focus instead on haute couture, perfumes and other collaborations.
The exhibition transports visitors through the decades, and the inspirations and muses he has worked with; showcasing dresses worn by Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Dita Von Teese.
An only child, Gaultier grew up in the suburbs of Paris and would sketch his grandmother, Marie – often exploring her corset collections. He cut his teeth in design with Pierre Cardin, then Jean Patou, and arrived on the fashion scene with his own collection just as punk exploded in the ’70s.
Since then he has happily referenced punk, new wave and art movements (rural art in Mongolia is a notable influence) in collections that have seen him fuse daring design with social commentary. The ’80s and ’90s feature heavily in the exhibition – from rock to disco, chic to masculine cool. Gaultier used fashion as female armour via of cage crinoline, and put men in skirts for a play on gender roles. He turned corsets into outerwear and mixed highbrow and lowbrow, always rebellious without intention, superbly witty and inspiring every step of the way.
» The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. National Gallery of Victoria until February 8, 2015
www.ngv.vic.gov.au
This is the 10th stop for The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, which he flew in to launch. But, despite the repetition that comes with a travelling exhibition, Gaultier is excitable, as if this is the first time, because fashion – even that which he creates – has a way of drawing attention to new details every time you view it.
“I noticed some tulle in a dress I forgot I had created,” he says, pointing to a gown in the yonder.
“The way the light draws your attention to certain pieces reminds you of things you once forgot. I have been designing for 38 years so it’s easy to forget every intricate detail to every dress.”
His beautiful French accent, wave of silver hair and childlike smile draw attention to the first corset dress he designed in the early ’80s. It is in the boudoir part of the exhibition’s themed rooms. This early dress is where Gaultier’s now famous cone-bra concept began, before the look was made famous by Madonna on her Blond Ambition tour. As a young boy, Gaultier drew cone-like impressions on his teddy bear called Nana – she is also featured behind glass.
“There is nobody like Madonna,” he says. “She directs herself, is talented, tough and interesting. She inspires women and men to follow her. She rules her own world.”
The relationship between the designer and his muse drew much interest and Gaultier admits he was always attracted to Madonna’s enigmatic presence. He always attracted to Madonna’s enigmatic energy. He says he first saw her on television singing Like A Virgin and was gobsmacked by her mix of sexy moves and religious connotations.
“I proposed to her three times, but she refused me every time,” he says, revealing something he’s kept under his hat for decades. But he then adds, “People change, and we don’t speak much anymore.”
Rebellious: Gaultier’s Montmartre in French Vogue in 1991.
Peter Lindbergh
Gaultier earned his stripes gradually in the fickle fashion industry but now he’s a household name, an international fashion week regular who, in September, announced he will stop designing ready-to-wear collections and focus instead on haute couture, perfumes and other collaborations.
The exhibition transports visitors through the decades, and the inspirations and muses he has worked with; showcasing dresses worn by Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Dita Von Teese.
An only child, Gaultier grew up in the suburbs of Paris and would sketch his grandmother, Marie – often exploring her corset collections. He cut his teeth in design with Pierre Cardin, then Jean Patou, and arrived on the fashion scene with his own collection just as punk exploded in the ’70s.
Since then he has happily referenced punk, new wave and art movements (rural art in Mongolia is a notable influence) in collections that have seen him fuse daring design with social commentary. The ’80s and ’90s feature heavily in the exhibition – from rock to disco, chic to masculine cool. Gaultier used fashion as female armour via of cage crinoline, and put men in skirts for a play on gender roles. He turned corsets into outerwear and mixed highbrow and lowbrow, always rebellious without intention, superbly witty and inspiring every step of the way.
» The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. National Gallery of Victoria until February 8, 2015
www.ngv.vic.gov.au
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