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The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier

From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

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Installation image of Gaultier exhibition with pink background and four mannequins in gowns

With his avant-garde fashion creations and cutting-edge designs, visitors entered Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion world in the first major exhibition devoted to the celebrated French couturier

Gaultier's reputation for witty, daring designs and a ceaseless interest in society, identity and beauty borne of difference earned him a place in fashion history. He is fascinated by world cultures and countercultures, conceiving a new kind of fashion in both the way it is made and worn.

This theatrically-staged exhibition brought together cutting-edge couture and ready-to-wear garments including iconic costumes for film and performance including the infamous conical bra and corsets Madonna wore during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour, stage costumes for Kylie Minogue and from the films of Pedro Almodóvar. 

His collaborations with renowned artists and photographers such as David LaChapelle, Pierre et Gilles, Herb Ritts, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol were shown together with footage of catwalks, concerts, music videos, films and dance.
 

Tagged with: Art & design Art Gallery Archive

Organised by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with Maison Jean Paul Gaultier.

The production and staging of the dynamic audiovisual element is the work of UBU/Compagnie de création of Montreal. Jolicoeur International of Quebec realised all the custom-made mannequins.

This exhibition was initiated and produced by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), under the direction of Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator and Thierry-Maxime Loriot, Curator at the MMFA in collaboration with Maison Jean Paul Gaultier – Paris. The exhibition was accompanied by an events programme and film season.
 

Reviews

‘A riot of sound, movement and colour‘
Vogue
‘An utterly intoxicating, warm yet cutting edge atmosphere no fashion lover could resist‘
Huffington Post
‘'A glorious celebration of not only style and creativity, but also of sexual and cultural diversity and freedom‘
Gay Times
‘If ever there was a couturier whose work belonged in a modern art gallery, it's Jean Paul Gaultier. ‘
Vanity Fair
‘The exhibition is full of fun and erotica and naughtiness as well as showcasing artistry and craft of the highest order‘
Independent
‘As irreverent as the man himself, detailing not only the fabulous frocks, but also the personality that infused all of his work‘
Time Out

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