One of the most longed for shows this season was Louis Vuitton’s F/W '14 collection.
LOVE ME MORE, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
October 25, 2013 5:46 PM
At the corner where fashion meets fine art, there stands Jean Paul Gaultier, four decades of his glory and avant-garde haute couture all packaged into the beautiful Brooklyn Museum under the exhibition titled The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. Natalie Bhondil, Montreal Museum of Fine Art’s chief curator named three defining moments in fashion museum history. The first being the great Yves Saint Laurent during his lifetime, then the late Alexander McQueen, and now we have the magnificent Jean Paul Gaultier.
The legendary designer was initially hesitant to do a museum exhibition, he calls it a cemetery exhibition. There is no narcissism in him looking into the past in awe of all he has done, but rather a desire to move forward to see what can be done. He wanted a new collaboration, something futuristic, new and refreshing. This exhibition was just that. It is less of a chronological presentation of the collection of Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, but rather more of a cross between a fine arts exhibition and a multi-media theatrical presentation. The show strips away the commercial aspects of the label, and is essentially a poetic interpretation of his creations from the iconic cone bra lent by Madonna to costumes used in films and concerts to, of course, his famous runway pieces. 130 of them were carefully selected to represent 7 different themes, each with their own message, documenting his collaborations with musicians, photographers, choreographers, and artists.
The show literally comes to life as high definition projections are used to animate 30 of the collections mannequins, each modeled after a real person including the exhibitions dashingly handsome curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot and, of course, a mannequin of Jean Paul Gaultier himself. In speaking with TWELV, Loriot explains that the intention was to do what has never been done by others. The exhibition collaborated with Denis Marleau and Stephanie Jazmin, on creating these animated mannequins with full facial expressions, eyes that move, and voices that speak to the audience.
The Brooklyn Museum will be the only museum in the East Coast to host the exhibition and Thierry explains to TWELV why, of all museums, the exhibition choose Brooklyn. He emphasizes that Brooklyn really is the heart of what New York is about. There are different communities that are present, representing such diverse cultures and countercultures. Jean Paul later adds to this by explaining how New York captivated him from his first visit over 35 years ago. He vividly describes how the window displays at department stores look amazingly more beautiful than those in Paris. New Yorkers can rejoice in his words!
There is a deeper social message and element of humanity reflected in these past 40 years of Maison Jean Paul Gaultier. He describes that “Fashion is a reflection of the desires of society and of the moment [and] what could be the future”. What sets the “enfant terrible” apart from other designers is really his optimism and love for women of all sizes, of all ethnicities, and of all ages. He specifically addresses the social concerns of the fashion industry and points out that there is a real issue in many designers not using models of color. He states “There is not only one type of beauty, of shape, of face, of color… [you should] accept yourself, don’t try to be like others. Show what you are, not hide what you are”. He has been known to challenge the status quo of beauty and shock his audience by using older, larger and shorter women in his shows. Amongst the exhibition there is a whole theme dedicated to his use of plus size models as well as a grand finale theme dedicated to Amazon, Mongolian and Far East influenced pieces.
The exhibit is currently on display until February 23rd 2014. Anyone who wants to stand witness to a glorious event in art and fashion history would make it a point to see this theatrical, beautifully conducted, and very relevant artistic installation that takes Jean Paul Gaultier beyond being a label, and into a poetic reflection of these past four decades of social and cultural history. Jean Paul smiles in conclusion of the press conference and reminds us in a humble, charming, and witty fashion “I am in this profession to make you love me and now after the exhibition, I’m hoping you will love me more."
WRITTEN BY: TINA SHIMIZU
CONTRIBUTOR/INTERVIEWER: DENISE BOWEN
//
related posts
New Era for Marc Jacobs Beauty and NARS
Mature models are becoming more common as contemporary icons of fashion and beauty companies.
Clean Up On Aisle No. 5
Karl Lagerfeld has extended the shelf life of the legendary Chanel brand by transforming the Grand Palais into an avant-garde supermarket to present the F/W '14 collection.
Dior x Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence has steadily become Hollywood's favorite sweetheart and she continues to maintain her it-girl status in the fashion world as the face of Dior’s fall collection.
Gucci F/W '14
Knee-length black boots were quite the trend at the Gucci Fall/Winter '14 show in Milan. The boots were a great contrast to the pastel and light colored, modest mini dresses.
TWELV MAGAZINE NYFW '14 FASHION PARTY AT DL LOUNGE
Twelv Magazine had a successful party during New York Fashion Week at the DL Lounge. Not even the snowstorm could stop us that night from enjoying the party with an amazing, fashionable and cool...
A.P.C. collaborates with M/M Paris, creates your new favorite T-shirt
M/M was most recently called upon to collaborate with A.P.C.
Skingraft F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR
In the coal black night, all was chaos, as if someone or something had disrupted the spirits of the dead.
Alice + Olivia F/W2014 Accessories Report
Alice + Olivia's FW '14 show was, quite literally, magical. From Snow White, to Rapunzel, the princesses were all present wearing the most fanciful clothing and sporting the most amazing...
Alice + Olivia NYFW F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR
Stacey Bendet took us deep into an enchanted realm of past and present during New York Fashion Week.
G-Star X Pharrell Collaboration: RAW FOR THE OCEANS
Following the debut of his now infamous Vivienne Westwood (or Arby’s if you're feeling sassy) hat at the 2014 Grammy’s, Pharrell announced his plans for a different kind of fashion statement...
Charlotte Ronson's Hopelessly Romantic NYFW F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR /Backstage
Charlotte Ronson FW14 gave us another take on floral prints for the winter season by paring the print on luxurious velvet and darker colors.
Jeremy Scott × Moschino NYFW F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR
The fashion industry has waited months for this day to arrive, and now it is finally here: Jeremy Scott’s first collection for Moschino.
Christian Siriano ”My Fair Lady” NYFW F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR at a glance
Who doesn’t love a sophisticated lady, wide brimmed hat tipped to one side, wasp waste dress, heels, and a whole lot of class.
John Rocha F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR
“The arsonist was a friend of mine,” I heard a girl with a sideways ponytail and six-inch platform shoes say, in a soft Scandinavian accent, whilst waiting in the queue for the John Rocha show.
The Bucolic Life of pas de calais F/W2014 Collection
During New York fashion week TWELV had the honor of viewing the exquisite and sophisticated F/W 14 collection of Japanese label, pas de calais.
THIS WEEK'S PARTIES
The second half of Fashion Week has certainly been a little slower than the first.
Tadashi Shoji F/W2014 READY-TO-WEAR
TWELV sent our photographer, Sharon Zobali, to cover Tadashi Shoji’s fall-winter 2014 runway show.
Nudie Jeans – The Naked Truth
There is a cult of denim followers, a subculture if you must, as prominent as the free spirited and tattooed Harley Davidson riders.
NYFW Party Time!
To celebrate the success of the first official day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, TWELV first dove into a roaring atmosphere at Electric Room, where ARDENCY INN hosted their event.
DETAILS Magazine PARTY
To start off New York Fashion Week in proper fashion, Details Magazine had their March Cover Party last night.
TWELV Luxe NYFW Beauty Survival Guide
1. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, $33.00 - Fashion Week is a morning to night marathon, and this primer works well at not only priming your face for the days makeup, but also...
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SURVIVAL GUIDE
Last year, I moved from London to New York and experienced my first New York Fashion Week. It was everything I wanted and more as promised by this great city’s fashion world.
Fashion Week Preview
For the fashion industry, magic materializes twice a year emerging from the runways, seeping through Manhattan, and this season, extending over the East River to Brooklyn.
Miu Miu Spring Campaign Video
A fresh generation of talent literally flashes before our eyes in Miu Miu’s Spring 2014 ready-to-wear advertising video.
Fashion makes its way to Sochi
Although Fashion Week is probably top of mind for the masses in the fashion industry, there is another major, global event on its way - the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Linda Rodin for The Row
Skin care mogul, Linda Rodin, 65, was headhunted by the Olsen sisters themselves to be their lead model in The Row’s Pre-Fall 2014 lookbook.
Rihanna x Balmain
Rihanna has landed a contract with one of the world’s most famous fashion houses, Balmain, for their SS '14 ad campaign.
Miley Cyrus x Marc Jacobs
The young pop icon does not rest for a second, and she seems more present than ever.
The Dazzling World of Erickson Beamon
Detroit native Karen Erickson has created a name and brand for herself by solidifying the true essence and beauty of fine jewelry.
TWELV'S CHRISTMAS WISH LIST #5: MANAGING EDITOR KRISTIN LIMOGES
1. Tom Ford Tabacco Vanille - $210 for 1.7 ounces - I'm obsessed with this scent, it's masculine and smells like vanilla, cocoa, tobacco flower, and wood rolled all together.
Exclusive Debut of Morgan Lane Lingerie short film
Morgan Curtis, Jill Stuart’s eldest daughter, recently introduced her first solo fashion project using her passion for illustration to create the lingerie and sleep ware brand named Morgan Lane....
CHANEL Métiers d’Art DALLAS SHOW
As if Lagerfeld did not have enough on his agenda throughout the year, he decided to go over the top fabulous with a Dallas cowboy-inspired theme for Chanel’s pre-fall 2014 show.
TWELV'S CHRISTMAS WISH LIST #4: ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR LUCY ROGERS
1.
METRO GIRL
TWELV's Exclusive Fashion Story"METRO GIRL" is now available!
Check inside for the Editorial, excerpt from "Issue 4"
TWELV'S CHRISTMAS WISH LIST #3: Fashion Editor Molly
1. SHWOOD “Canby” Wood Sunglasses $185 - These sunglasses are a charming and fresh finish to any look.