Lifestyle // Women's
Jean Paul Gaultier at the Dallas Museum of Art
“Men can cry as woman can fight,” says Jean Paul Gaultier, in a statement that describes his reinterpretation of society’s boundaries between sexes, but could also serve as a declaration for what makes his work so special — the conviction to bend social norms and reveal what’s typically concealed.
This morning the Dallas Museum of Art previewed “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk,” the first exhibition ever devoted to the celebrated French couturier. This international exhibition (opening to the public this Sunday, November 13,) was conceived, produced and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Maison Jean Paul Gaultier. It now makes its U.S. debut.
Nathalie Bondil, director and chief curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, described Gaultier’s generous artistic and social vision as the reason this exhibition exists. “Jean Paul Gaultier describes a society that we’d all love to be a part of because everyone is included. No one can be so big, so fat or so old. Everyone can feel special and it’s really against the dictatorship of aesthetic criteria, which is so important today.”
Kevin W. Tucker (DMA's Coordinating Curator ), Olivier Meslay (DMA's Interim Director), Jean Paul Gaultier, Nathalie Bondil (Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts), Thierry-Maxime Loriot (Curator)
Gaultier’s keen interest in the world’s cultures and countercultures is displayed at the entrance of the exhibit. It’s his first time in Dallas, and he makes a tribute by showcasing fashionable cowboy and cowgirl clothing. He immediately takes out a black Sharpie and writes, “for Dallas with love,” on the platform where the mannequins are displayed. His enthusiasm for culture and newness is alive.
"For Dallas with love" - Jean Paul Gaultier
Upon entering the exhibition his influences, from the streets of Paris to the world of science fiction, which have shaped the couturier’s creative development, make an immediate impression. Viewers are introduced to many of his favorite themes: sailors, mermaids and virgins. ”The Odyssey,” the name of the first section, is a replica of the Gaultier couture salon and features the first dress he designed, which dated from 1970 and has never been publicly shown.
Gaultier’s artistic vision was sparked as a young boy, growing up in the company of his grandmother, Marie. He spoke about his grandmother’s inspiring dress and demeanor. He told a story about a typical day when Marie was getting dressed to go out for the day, and she was late. She was rushing around the house in her nightgown, and quickly put on a jacket, stockings and shoes, but forgot her pants. Gaultier was a boy at the time, and decided not to tell her, because he thought it was an incredibly funny joke. As he watched her walk out of the house, he thought to himself how ironically beautiful the outfit was (the mix of undergarments and outwear). There is something so empowering about revealing what’s typically concealed, says Gaultier.
His predilection for corsets, waist cinchers and all feminine lingerie has led him to reinterpret those undergarments for modern women’s wardrobes, with cone-shaped bras and corset dresses becoming symbols of power. He then delves further into revelation with “Skin Deep.” His admiration for skin, what he describes as being the first garment, and its various types of decoration, have been a constantly renewed source of inspiration.
The influences continue between “Paris’s rough-and-ready Pigalle and the rock attitude of London’s Trafalgar Square. Gaultier’s heart beats to the rhythm of the two capitals.” Iconic Parisienne symbols are present — the beret, the trench coat, the cigarette and the phallic Eiffel Tower — mixed with references to Pigalle’s sex shops and London’s tattooed punks. The borrowing and subverting of these elements is shown in materials such as latex, leather, fishnets and laces.
Taking a cue in the late Seventies from new wave and house music, Gaultier’s most futuristic designs led to an exploration of the worlds of advanced technology and science fiction. He introduced the use of materials that would normally never be seen on the catwalk (vinyl, Lycra, neoprene, 3D fabrics and inflatables), as well as through his unforgettable collaborations with artists in the fields of pop and rock music, film and dance.
But it was the “Urban Jungle” where the various influences culminated. ”The multicultural and ethnically diverse society the designer observes within the many tribes of the urban jungle: the Arabs of the Barbés neighborhood, boubou-clad Africans, chic rabbis, Chinese women who morph into flamenco dancers, Russian icons and Bollywood Maharajahs.” Deriving a new aesthetic from them all, Gaultier rewrites the modern fashion code.
View “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” at the Dallas Museum of Art, November 13, 2011 to February 12, 2012.
Shop Jean Paul Gaultier at NeimanMarcus.com and Neiman Marcus stores.
