HAUTE COUTURE'S ENFANT TERRIBLE IN BELGRADE Love is everything. Only Jean Paul Gaultier can do that! Wedding Bliss for All you will feel a rush of adrenaline. Silk, tulle, sea sponges, walls reminiscent of Parisian salons, dolls that wink at you, designs with the craziest details… A n unusual exhibition setting on three cir- As soon as you step into Jean Paul Gaultier's exhibition Love is Love: cular levels with dolls that wink, talk and smile at you. Amazing designs with lots of details. Yes, we are talking about the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at Belgrade‘s Mu- seum of Contemporary Art The opening of the exhibition was online, in the spir- it of the times and the “new normal”. Jean Paul Gault- ier got involved directly, sending the message that he was happy that the exhibition would experience its Eu- ropean premiere in Belgrade. “Although I‘m not present physically, I‘m with you in my thoughts and my heart. The exhibition is about things that make us dream if we have beautiful memories,” said the famous design- er, while Viktor Kiš, director of the Museum of Contem- porary Art in Belgrade, said that such exhibitions send an important message for us to be true to ourselves, to look to ourselves and to achieve our goals. Just like Jean Paul Gaultier himself. The exhibition comprises 38 haute couture wedding dresses that have closed Gaultier‘s fashion shows. High fashion in the true sense of the word – story, inspira- tion, realisation. It will take you a few moments to real- ise that the circular pedestals on which the dolls stand are actually huge cakes. He spent 395 hours each work- ing on some of the designs. Every detail is conceived, de- signed and created by hand. Another treat for the audi- ence is that the exhibits are not displayed behind glass, so you can approach to within just a few centimetres and study every detail, see every thread on the materi- al and even touch them. The creations of this designer, who is known for his commitment to minorities exposed to discrimination, encompass a range of borrowed cultural elements that emphasise and promote a humane, intercultural and uni- versalist attitude. True to his own off-the-wall approach that has characterised his work since his first designs in the domain of everyday fashion, as well as spectacu-
Žan-Pol Gotje na kraju revije u Parizu 2020, kojom je završio karijeru Jean Paul Gaultier pictured at the end of his 2020 Paris fashion show, with which he ended his career
lar models and displays, over the years Gaultier has en- riched his collection with wedding clothing. No, it‘s not a mistake, we haven‘t written dresses on purpose, as for Jean Paul this also includes suits, tuxedos or trousers. There is almost no theme, concept or culture that hasn‘t run through his creations at some point. The theme of each collection is also reflected in the most important dress of each haute couture fashion show, the one giv- en the honour of closing the fashion show – the wed- ding gown. And thus we encounter a wedding dress in- spired by Indian tribes, with a grandiose feather instead of a veil, a post-apocalyptic gown that looks as though it was made for the film Mad Max, a gown made of silk bubble wrap. As you try to absorb the energy resonat- ing from each design and to review all the details of the creations on display, your gaze falls on a suit with a veiled cap. There is also a white suit with an asymmet- rical cut and a flower on the waist and, of course, a doll with the likeness of the creator himself, dressed in his famous Breton sweater and skirt. As you stroll through the setting you will see a jack- et and skirt combination inspired by Frida Kahlo. Next to them stands a provocative wedding gown made of a material that imitates a sea sponge and a fishing net. As you gulp in amazement at the boldness of such a dress, your eyes spot the complete opposite, in the form of an innocent gown with fairy wings. That‘s when you real- ise how JPG earned his official nickname – The Enfant Terrible of fashion. The exhibition is a real treat for all lovers of haute couture. You will contemplate the rich details long af- ter you leave the Museum...
Jean Paul Gaultier » Žan Pol Gotje | 51
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator