This past summer, I had the privilege and honour of being able to attend the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit in Montreal! All of his iconic creations and statements through fashion were in front of me….a veritable feast for my eyes! Around every corner there was a new piece that evoked gasps, heart racing and extreme emotional response from me. Some of the very pieces I had seen in magazines and on televised runway shows were right there in front of me! I was able to lean in and examine every stitch, every bead, every feather, every painstaking detail so close that my hands itched to reach out and complete my experience by touching….which I, of course, would never have the disrespect or dishonour to do. I couldn’t even allow myself to take photos of the exhibit because….well, it just felt “wrong” somehow to me.
I could never have thought in all my wildest dreams that I would ever get to have this amazing and up close look at such genius and no boundaries approach to fashion as an artform. I am forever changed and affected by this experience.
Jean Paul Gautier has always been a hero and role model to me. He is on my list as one of my forever favourite designers. He knows no limits, breaks all kinds of “rules” where beauty and gender are concerned, seeks inspiration from the street and culture and does not know the meaning of the word “no”. My kind of people.
I have included but a few of the highlights from the exhibit and I encourage you to discover more about him and his life’s work to date.
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