From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

When I was a child, I grew up on Madonna and I love everything she did. In a world where self-esteem rules, Madonna empowered women to take control of themselves, to not let others (particularly men) define who we are. She represents fearlessness and openness and has always encouraged the world to step outside of themselves, to loosen up the definition of taboo and experience something new. She flipped the music industry upside-down. Had I any clue that Gaultier was responsible for her cone bra, or her geisha look? No, but it was completely inspiring to me and a match made in heaven. And as I grew to understand my sexuality, it was the refined appeal of women like Dita Von Teese that I looked to - another Gaultier muse.

I also grew up with a Catholic education and the Golden Rule was always pressed upon us. Though some of us in the world may practice different beliefs or don't particularly embrace the ideal, the message is nonetheless transcendent and it is one I have always strived to live everyday of my life. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We've all been bullied as a child and having seen the tremendous way anxiety and self-esteem issues can hinder your growth, I know first hand how someone would feel if I pointed the finger back at them. I never liked it. And neither do the gays, or the full-figured. Or short, or blind, or handicapped. We are all people. "I respect indiviualities and I like particularities. I mix and match, collect, twist and crossbreed codes. Past, present, here, elsewhere, masculine, feminine, distinguished, ordinary-it all coexists." (JPG) The particularities that make us beautiful should be how we feel about movement, time and growth, or what it is we appreciate in this world, how we measure respect. LGBT? Well, unless you're romantically interested in this person, why are you even curious? We don't need to feel ostracized for knowing who we are.

For the last couple of months I have been trying to decide who my favourite designers are. Alot of the times it has gone back and forth between McQueen, Galliano, Lacroix and Gaultier. Galliano's work has always been imaginative and I will always be forever in love with Lacroix, the man who really made me want to pay attention to fashion. His gravitation toward historical costuming and the sheer opulence of his design choices have always made me stare in amazement. And while the iconography of McQueen's designs and his message is undeniable, I feel that he spoke to a part of me that doesn't necessarily exist anymore.

 

 

Naturally, the designer I would choose would have to be one that represents me. Not just the clothing, but the man behind the vision. Someone whose ideals in life closely match that of my own. After attending the exhibit (and some additional research) I have finally made my decision. While McQueen's disturbingly stark and tormented - yet breathtakingly beautiful - pieces may have appealed to me at a time when my life felt just as dark, it has always been hope, light and faith that have brought me to where I am now, ever-growing. And that is something anyone can see in Gaultier. "In life, I like the blemishes, scars, emotions of the skin, of the flesh, of movement-everything that is human." (JPG) It is his effervescence that resonates most with anyone that encounters the man himself or his work. The humour, the joy and the humility. In McQueen, the beauty and romance always had an underlying pain and suffering, a longing for love that always seemed unattainable.

What I have learned is that, unbeknownce to me, Gaultier has always been a part of my life. Somehow, I've grown up with him and as I changed, we still unintentionally found each other. (The Fifth Element anyone?) The future of JPG is boundless because he recognizes the endless possibility in human capacity. A part of me feels that if I had gone to the McQueen exhibit at the MET, I would've chosen him, but a part of me also feels that if I had seen it, all I'd feel is sadness. Sadness that he's no longer here and sadness to see everything Lee had gone through, to feel as he felt. I would have loved to follow McQueen's journey, and maybe he could have found his spirit, but I won't. Emotion is what injects the beauty into art but confidence, awareness and self-acceptance are what makes it live and breathe.

 

 

What needs to be understood is that this exhibit is not a retrospective of his 35 years, rather a recollection of his work to introduce his vision. Inspired by what can be found in the boudoir and underneath the layers of skin, Gaultier's image of beauty has always been about breaking the mold. "My nature prompts me to see what is hidden behind reality, to contemplate the curious features of the everyday." (JPG) Famous for his corsets, the man's skirt, and model diversity, his vision truly is a representation of humanity. By creating in the image of the influential people he met throughout his life -whether confident multicultural beauties or punky club kids à la Boy George- he reintroduced it all, from the sidewalk to the catwalk, in the image of a better world.

 

 

Jean Paul Gaultier will also take the exhibit to Dallas, San Francisco, Madrid and Rotterdam. Look out for them in your area. And seeing how much it inspired me, I suggest you make the trip if it's a little bit out of your way. "I am very happy to be able to present this exhibition all over the world, as my creations will become my passport to all the cities hosting the show" (JPG)

In Montreal until October 2.
http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/index.html
I picked up the table top book from the museum from which the quotes in my piece are taken from.

The photos are my own from the exhibit.