Haute Culture in Rotterdam

The Kunsthal Rotterdam presents “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier”, a retrospective of the French designer’s most emblematic original creations. As the visitor walks into the first exhibition salon, an impressive and striking journey begins, an immersion into “Jean Paul Gaultier’s world”, reviewing 35 years of career and 140 designs exhibited. Yesterday’s “enfant terrible” is now considered as one of the greatest and most revolutionary French designer. He has shaped the look of fashion with his avant-garde creations: the famous “marinière” obviously, the conical bras designed for celebrities like Madonna and Lady Gaga… and more generally, the punk or glam-rock trends. After travelling to Montréal, Dallas, San Francisco and Madrid, Jean Paul Gaultier is now coming to Rotterdam… Each model is heavenly enlightened, featuring the haute couture and ready-to-wear collections… a real hymn for freedom: men, women, in corsets, in skirts! But free people! You walk so close to each model you can actually touch them with your eye. You travel through time, you change rooms, you dream and listen to the models’ monologues and conversations.

Jean Paul Gaultier shares his intimacy with the story of his beloved grandmother who teaches him the art of dressmaking at a very early age. She will remain his source of inspiration for his work to come. He was only six years old when Jean Paul started “design experiences” on his teddy bear “Nana”, after discovering corsets in one of his grandmother’s trunk. They will later become the symbols of his future trademark. It is a legendary exhibition and an exceptional scenography, a remarkable fashion show, a worldwide meeting with the stars of the street, it is a “must”! Mark the dates in your diaries: Following the Netherlands, the exhibition will then travel to Sweden, hosted by the Museum of Architecture in Stockholm. It will then cross the Atlantic to open in New-York next autumn and finally in London, at the Barbican Centre, in April 2014…

  The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk”, on tour Rotterdam Kunsthal Museum: www.kunsthal.nl “Arkitekturmuseet” Museum in Stockholm 15 June-22 September 2013 www.arkitekturmuseet.se Brooklyn Museum in New-York 25 October-23 February 2014 www.brooklynmuseum.org London Barbican Centre Starting April 2014 www.barbican.org.uk by Fabrice Vallon