Jean Paul Gaultier Retrospective To Increase The Chic At NGV

For the second time in a career than has spanned nearly forty years, one of the industry’s most outlandish couturiers, the reason you wear Breton stripes every weekend and the original enfant terrible Jean Paul Gaultier will travel to Australian to attend the next international leg of a career retrospective of his iconoclastic work at the National Gallery of Victoria opening October. 
The retroactive Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk To Catwalk encompasses some 140 garments from an oeuvre amassed over the decades and added to in the interim since opening at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2011, including chic red carpet ‘moments’ that have adorned the frames of Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman alongside Madonna’s inimitable Blonde Ambition conical bras and corsets. Pieces from Kylie Minogue’s vast tour wardrobe, for which Gaultier also designed the costumes, feature prominently, with the latter describing Gaultier as “a visionary, his skill at creating drama and fantasy are second to none. On top of that, his kindness and humour shine through all that he does. A dear friend and an icon of design, long may he reign! I’m honoured to be part of this amazing exhibition and know visitors will leave elated and inspired.” 
Having seen the retrospective, it’d be remiss of me not to say that it’s essential viewing for both fans of the designer’s work, casual observers of the industry, and people who wears clothes alike. The animated mannequins are equal parts impressive and vaguely terrifying as they narrate the designer’s history; the craftsmanship on display – from his earliest pieces assembled under the tutelage of Pierre Cardin in the 70s, to costumes created for film, to recent couture collections – is impeccable; his status as an icon of pop culture transgressing the fashion industry more apparent with each successive look. 
Ever the irreverent, camp showman, Gaultier is as iconic as the clothes he creates and the runways and diverse models on which he shows them. Here’s an indication of what you can expect.
Photo: S/S2014 Haute Couture by Miguel Medina via Getty

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