“TO CONFORM IS TO GIVE IN” - JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Having grown up in a world of conformity and judgement, Jean Paul Gaultier was consistently different, a ‘sissy’ (according to his classmates) boy turned man of quirks and strange ideas, driving himself towards huge successes in the fashion industry and earning himself a name which is recognised worldwide. This is where the NGV’s Gaultier exhibition hit home.

At a stark contrast to the usual quiet, muffled atmosphere of a gallery, the beguiling interconnected spaces were buzzing with the projected voices of mannequins; many mannequins had their own identities and told stories, or sang songs. Quite a bit larger than I expected, each room progressively displayed the growth and changes in style during Gaultier’s career.

Along the way, I found out more about the designer as a person; about his mother dressing him in stripes and the legacy of this in his garments, about his relationship with his grandmother and the inspiration she provided for his corsetry; the depth which the viewing of the pieces in collaboration with the information provided is phenomenal;

On the surface, we see beautiful couture by the fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier. However, once we have knowledge of the creative intent and the background of the work, we are confronted with strange new ideas introduced by the inventor and innovator, Jean Paul Gaultier.

In this masterpiece of an exhibition, underwear is turned into outerwear, confusion is turned into understanding and the brain of Jean Paul Gaultier is turned inside out; we see the feminist ideals beneath the raunchy, exposing garments, the results which come out of hard work and most of all, we are enlightened in the fact that with innovation and with crazy ideas, comes the creation of beautiful things; different ways of thinking and different outcomes are celebrated, inspiring all of us to break out of the norm.

After all, “to conform is to give in.”

The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition is on at the National Gallery of Victoria until the 6 Feb 2015 - I for one will probably be going again, and I highly recommend it to you all!

Love, Ingrid