With his avant-garde fashion creations and cutting-edge designs, [Jean-Paul] 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.
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.
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.
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is in London from 9th April 2014 to 25th August 2014 at the gallery in the Barbican Centre.
I saw the show twice here in San Francisco and loved it. I was particularly struck by how filthy the Madonna costume was. You'd think with all that money she could afford a dry cleaner.
ReplyDeleteAuthentic Madonna stains! How avant-garde.
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