The futuristic, elegant, and avant-garde world of fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier can now be experienced by the public at the Brooklyn Museum‘s latest exhibition, “From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk.”
Centered around the five progressive designs explored through Gaultier’s work, the exhibit begins with the heading, “The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier.” In this section, Gaultier’s trademark designs are displayed: open-back sailor shirts, skirts for men, lavish and mermaid-like dresses, and pieces that contain the printed image of the Virgin Mary.
Aside from the art itself, the mannequins are brought to life by audiovisual projections of facial features so realistic, they give wax figures at Madame Tussauds a run for their money.
Next, the exhibit offers a deeper look into Gaultier’s transformative ideas surrounding lingerie. The majority of his work in lingerie stems from two distinct fascinations of the designer: the human body and the blurring of lines between genders in fashion. Gaultier is known for his bras with conical breasts and bralettes attached with stitched material around the hips, which create an overall curvier shape. These designs have grown in popularity among music icons such as Madonna and Lady Gaga, who have worn them on their concert tours.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The next section, “Skin Deep,” reflects Gaultier’s new approach to clothing as a second skin. With skillful stitching and creative designs, Gaultier has been able to create body suits that create the illusion of tattoos, nudity, and muscles. On his inspiration for “Skin Deep,” Gaultier stated, “in life, I like the blemishes, scars, emotions of the skin, of the flesh, of movement—everything that is human.”
This section also sheds light on his important role in casting models for the runway. Unlike many designers, he chooses models based on how their personalities fit with the message of the pieces, rather than who might look the most attractive in the designs. He has cast full-figured women with piercings and tattoos, in addition to androgynous men, to further the impact and emphasis of his message.
Gaultier’s desire to shape the new and the ever-changing fashion world is illustrated in the next section of the exhibit, “Punk Cancan.” The designs displayed in this category clearly depict how he chose to move away from the classic styles he saw throughout his life in Paris and toward the growing punk movement in London.
The exhibit concludes with the “Urban Jungle” section, which displays incredible couture pieces inspired by a range of cultures, religions, and iconic figures. Work in the section includes an avant-garde backless dress representing the renowned Frida Kahlo, a tribal face-mask dress representing Mongolian culture, and colorful tribal printed gowns alluding to the Peruvian people.
Of all the pieces I saw in this final section, I was particularly struck by “Chic Rabbis,” one of his most controversial designs. This piece was inspired by what he described as a beautiful scene: a group of Hasidic rabbis on the street. From this scene, he created couture rabbi outfits that were modeled by women. Some Hasidic Jews, after seeing these designs, were offended by Gaultier’s pieces.
As Gaultier blurs the lines between ethics and fashion through his runaway shows and controversial pieces, this fabulous exhibit celebrates these blurred lines by categorizing Gaultier’s fashions and noting his influence on the fashion world today. I urge you to take a look for yourselves — but hurry, as the temporary exhibit closes on February 23!