Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria will be the only Asia-Pacific venue for the critically-acclaimed exhibition, which has so far done stints in Montreal, London and New York, drawing over 1 million visitors and becoming the most popular fashion exhibition in the world. Even more exciting is that the French enfant terrible himself will by flying in for the opening. Gaultier last visited Australia 20 years ago for Mardi Gras.
The exhibit will feature around 140 looks spanning the designer’s 40-year-plus career, curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot. Among the most recognizable are the conical bra and the corsets he created for Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour, designs crafted for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé as well as collaborative pieces he designed with other luminaries, including Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Richard Avedon.
The Australian Muses section is obviously Melbourne-only. “As a long-time fan and admirer of Jean Paul Gaultier and his work, it was a great thrill to collaborate with him for my tour costumes,” Minogue said in a statement. “His skill at creating drama and fantasy are second to none.”
“I love your models, your actresses, and the music and cinema,” Gaultier said in turn. “You can feel all the youngness and creativity of Australia, which is not like France where we [live] under so much history and old values. Australia is fresh, spontaneous and happy, and I love the Australian sense of humour.”
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk will be on display at the National Gallery of Victoria from October 17th, 2014 through February 8th, 2015.
