I salute you Monsieur Gaultier!!

 

Jean Paul Gaultier

@ The Barbican.

 

In the first major exhibition devoted to the celebrated French couturier, you have the opportunity to explore Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion world. With his avant-garde fashion creations and cutting-edge designs, Gaultier has shaped the look of fashion over the last 40 years. His reputation for witty and daring designs and a ceaseless interest in society, identity and a beauty borne of difference has earned him a place in fashion history. 

 

From the very outset you are confronted with the sheer genius that we have grown to love as Gaultier - you realise that all of his creativity, theatricality & originality is going to be on display - even the mannequins talk to you as you approach them (truly - every mannequin has a projected video of a person talking & as you approach, giving expressions & one even sings, - clearly you are triggering off voice chips - it's fabulous in a slightly freaky way - there's even a Gaultier mannequin, dressed in a long kilt & striped top - of course!). 

This is a riot of sound, movement & colour!

 

Gaultier is fascinated by world cultures and countercultures, conceiving a new kind of fashion in both the way it is made and worn. Through twists, transformations, transgressions and reinterpretations, he not only erases the boundaries between cultures but also the sexes, redefining the idea of androgyny or subverting fashion codes. 

The show is split into eight thematic sections - The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier, Punk Cancan, Muses, The Boudoir, Metropolis, Eurotrash, Skin Deep and Urban Jungle. Each features a series of mannequins dressed in Gaultier's dazzling apparel.

For me one of the most interesting collections was the punk era, it was a blast from the past, a sharp reality check where I remember when full Mohicans glided down the High Street with pride.  

 

This collection was far removed from poor construction & slashed low quality clothing -  this is too often the first image people recall when the name 'Punk' is branded around - this was dominated by the clever use of the Union Jack flag, sometimes gold encrusted, juxtaposed against lush velvets etc. An imaginative use of materials & techniques is evident throughout the whole exhibition - Gaultier is a master of materials & the sheer expanse is breath-taking. 

 

This theatrically-staged exhibition brings together more than 165 cutting-edge couture and ready-to-wear garments including iconic costumes for film and performance from the early 1970s to the present day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The infamous conical bra and corsets Madonna wore during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour are showcased alongside stage costumes designed for Kylie Minogue as well as pieces created for the films of Pedro Almodóvar, among others.

 

 

 

 

Gaultier’s rich collaborations with renowned artists and photographers such as Miles Aldridge, David LaChapelle, Pierre et Gilles, Peter Lindbergh, Herb Ritts, Stéphane Sednaoui, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol are also shown together with footage of catwalk presentations, concerts, music videos, films and dance performances.



 

This is a rare and fascinating opportunity to get inside the creative mind of one of fashion's most daring designers, whose work celebrates the pleasure of looking, sexual empowerment and the diversity of real beauty.  The exhibition is a study in pure creativity.  All that he does is infused with a genuine love of life, which I find deeply infectious. But the humanity and humour which are his trademarks are also underpinned by discipline, professionalism, and a skill that is second to none.  'From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk', explores Gaultier's exuberant inventiveness, his long-standing reputation as fashion's enfant terrible, and his embrace of cultural and sexual difference and beauty in all its shapes and sizes.

 

Part of Gaultier's appeal is his relationship to visual culture; how he continues to work within a creative feedback loop drawing from a melting pot of high and low culture, religion, art movements, politics, and more, and in turn his work transcends the fashion world. As echoed in these shows, he has the power to inspire creative minds whatever your background, and remind us that humour and risk, alongside skill and discipline, are often what produce truly unforgettable work.