I finally had the ultimate pleasure of attending the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit here in the 514!  It was magical.  It was better than I thought possible.  The animation (facial projections that brought the mannequins to life), the incredibly curated pieces that marked historic fashion moments in both my memory as well as pop culture were such a thrill to take in, I will no doubt be back to absorb anything I may have missed the first time round.

The main difference between the JPG and McQueen exhibit (I did find there to be many sculptural similarities in the construction of costume-like creations), was definitely the time span of each of their careers.  Jean Paul Gaultier has had decades to produce such consistent but contrasting creations, whereas in comparison, sadly McQueen’s existence was much shorter as inventor.

It makes you think of all that he could of done in the same time frame – the adventures he could have taken us all on with his eye (the boundaries broken down).  It also makes it that much more awe-inducing to know that someone so young, so inexperienced, had such an extraordinary gift right from the start (education only honed his ability to his craft)

The most captivating part of these exhibits are always the circle they keep.  It never ceases to amaze me that everyone these celebrated icons keep close in company/collaboration end up becoming equally known in their own field/niche (Richard Avedon, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss amongst a few displayed at the JPG exhibit).  Do you think when they were dreaming and creating they had any idea how historic they would all become?

Did Karl Lagerfeld and Yves St. Laurent have any idea their effect on the world around them (other than through being the successors behind the major fashion labels they took over at the time) back in 1970?s Paris?  What about Hemmingway, Picasso and Dali (if you’ve seen Midnight In Paris you understand what I’m getting at)?  They all seemed to have known each other, paths crossing at more than one place in time (if not completely intertwined with one another), and in the end they are what the world call masters.

My train of thought runs rampant when I think about today’s up and coming influencers, and how you never really know if you too will be linked to something historic.  It is not something limited to art, fashion or pop culture – there are groups and cliques like this in every domain and trade (be it astronauts to accountants).  Everyone has the potential to make a difference, play muse to someone who will, or inspire/push unseen brilliance.

For McQueen it was Isabella Blow, for Yves St. Laurent it was Pierre Berge… we are all part of a bigger puzzle that we don’t necessarily see fitting together just yet.  If you want to explore the interconnectedness of fashion and art as we know it (and all the extravagance amongst the flutter of change in the 70?s), pick up The Beautiful Fall Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970?s Paris by Alicia Drake (I have been working on this one for months on and off – there is a lot to take in).

It gives you a glimpse into the lifestyles, relationships, vanity and strong image construction (and control) of the moguls we know today.  The restraints, social punishments and requirements to be a part of something the rest of the world wanted in on.

Tags: Jean Paul Gaulthier x Montreal

Posted under: Designers, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER!, NY Night Clubbing

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