“The fragmentation of time. That’s fashion, the passing of time.”
Last week we took a spin through San Francisco Fine Art’s exhibit of fashion works by Jean Paul Gaultier. Right away you are greeted by a talking mannequin with the face and voice of the designer clad in his signature Breton stripes.
on the wall
Born and raised in Paris, Gaultier drew inspiration from the Parisian street scene. His work in the 1970s included can-can inspired dresses and collections drawing on London in the time of Vivienne Westwood. Sci-fi themes also appeared in Gaultier’s pieces through the incorporation of materials like vinyl and neoprene. In 1976, Gualtier ran his first runway show.
detail: mermaid dress
Gualtier’s collections in the 80’s include nods to the traditional apparel of Eastern European, Asian and African cultures. The next decade found the designer busy working on costumes for films.
A few of the ensembles in the exhibit took over 200 hours to complete. The “Dubar” camouflage gown worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in 2000 was constructed in 215 hours. Gaultier’s 2008 “Calligraphie” gown was 295 hours in the making.
image: Fashionable Fun
Gaultier’s fall 2009 show included dresses inspired by Hollywood’s leading ladies like Mae West, Greta Garbo and Rita Hayworth. The Marilyn Monroe dress was sequined by hand, all twelve pounds glittering down the runway.
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