(Photo Courtesy of Jon Lewenz)
Welcome to Dallas Mr. Gaultier.
Internationally recognized for seamlessly weaving street and high fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier is a master at creating decadent haute couture collections.
Gaultier has made a giant impact in the fashion universe, and now, the designer is sharing his life and career with Dallas.
Beating out fashion capitols New York and Los Angeles, Dallas will be the first of only two U.S. cities to host the world-renowned French couturiers exclusive exhibition.
The other city is San Francisco.
“The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is an international tour that will make its U.S. debut at the Dallas Museum of Art on Nov. 13, marking the first exhibition the museum has devoted entirely to the art of fashion.
“It would be impossible to overstate the importance Jean-Paul Gaultier has had on not just the international fashion industry but pop culture,” Carson Eisenhart, a freelance blogger and founder of sites “Dallas Stylistas” and “For The Love of Louboutin,” said.
The exhibition will be on display until Feb. 12 then move on to San Francisco and will offer a reflective look at the designer’s l’enfant terrible phase of French fashion.
Approximately 140 looks will cover his first runway show collection from the ‘70s and 120 looks dating from 1976 to 2010.
Known for his eclectic and avant-garde style, Gaultier’s exhibition will be organized along five different thematic sections, including “Jean Paul Gaultier’s Paris,” “Fusions,” “Multi-Gender,” “Eurotrash/ X-Rated” and “Metropolis.” According to the
Dallas Museum of Art’s website, the majority of the pieces displayed have never been exhibited before.
Gaultier fans and devotees will have the chance to take a closer look into the couturier’s world by exploring sketches, runway shows, interviews, stage costumes and excerpts from films.
The exhibition has been highly anticipated among Dallas and SMU fashion followers.
“I am so excited for the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition, to have a collection of work from such a world-renowned fashion designer is a huge privilege for Dallasites,” SMU freshman and “SMU Style” blogger Alex Smart said.
When Gaultier was at the peak of his notoriety in the late eighties and early to mid-nineties, currently enrolled SMU students were only toddlers or not even born yet.
Most are familiar with Gaultier from when Madonna wore his iconic conical bustier during her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour.
“The students and community members of SMU who are involved with or even merely interested in fashion will surely come out in droves to see the exhibit and show their support,” Eisenhart said.
Dallas is no stranger to Gaultier.
It is the city in which Neiman Marcus was founded and the home of local hot spot Forty Five Ten, both of which have long been champions of Gaultier’s work.
“Though a secondary fashion and retail market in terms of size and volume moved, Dallas is home to a number of international trendsetters as well as world-renowned boutiques and department stores which have a significant impact on the direction the industry takes on a national scale,” Eisenhart said.
Lily Fraser, an SMU senior who was born in Manhattan was shocked when she found out Gaultier would not be making a stop in her hometown.
“A lot of people are disappointed, especially since New York has always supported Gaultier’s work,” Fraser said.
Gaultier’s exhibit is coming on the heels of the immensely successful Alexander McQueen retrospective exhibit, “Savage Beauty,” which was housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York this summer.
“Gaultier is always pushing boundaries,” SMU senior Audrey Struve said. “His collections are magical and we are so lucky to have the chance to admire his work up close and personal without the price tag.”
The SMU communities’ fashion culture is quickly merging with the Dallas fashion scene, its inherent vibrancy and unique aesthetic.
“French designers are always such an influence on fashion, and I look forward to covering the exhibition for SMUStyle.com,” Smart said.
Gaultier’s groundbreaking approach to design and style will bring a special flavor to Dallas.
“From his controversial model castings to iconic pieces of pop culture memorabilia to his highly successful tenure at Hermes, easily one of the most uptight and proper luxury houses in existence, Jean-Paul Gaultier has cemented his rebellious position in fashion history,” Eisenhart said.
