Jean Paul Gaultier is arguably one of the greatest fashion icons of our time. A self taught designer, he is a man who has constantly challenged conformity, and pushed the boundaries of fashion with his avant garde designs. Gaultier is a man who’s brilliant joie de vivre and creativity has had far reaching cultural impact and helped to set the tone of modern fashion today, all of which is explored and revealed.
The current retrospective of his life’s work; The Fashion World Of Jean Paul Gaultier is now in residence at London’s Barbican Centre, where it has taken a slightly British twist. Gaultier pays homage to the countrie’s influence upon his life and work; his many British muses, from models such a Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, to his British musical heroes David Bowie and Boy George amongst others. With this installment of his exhibit, Gaultier has said he is paying tribute to the ‘cult of difference’ that Britain so openly fosters and embraces; “Britain represents iconoclastic creativity, individuality – things that we don’t know so much in France.”, and has even gone so far as to boldly state that the nation is sexier than that of his hone country of France.
The retrospectives sweep covers the gamut of Gaultier’s career; his stunning and bold catwalk and haute couture creations are showcased alongside costume works such as those infamously created for Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour, Kylie Minogue, Luc Besson’s seminal pulp sci-fi The Fifth Element, and the films of Pedro Almodovar. This not to be missed, theatrically staged and breathtaking exhibition also explores the designer’s fascination with world cultures and counter cultures (punk being of particular note and significance at the London residency) and how through his signature twists, transformations, transgressions and reinterpretations, he has erased the boundaries in fashion both between cultures, and the sexes, subverting the traditional fashion codes and redefining the traditional ideals of masculinity and femininity.
Duration | April 09 – August 25
Address | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS