The World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

 The exhibit dedicated to exposing the world of fashion icon, Jean Paul Gaultier, made its U.S. debut at the Dallas Museum of Art in November of 2011 and will end February 12, 2012. This is the first exhibit at the DMA dedicated to fashion.
 
“You are a true designer when people recognize your work without even looking at the label. This is the case for Jean Paul Gaultier,” said French designer, Pierre Cardin.
 
This quote by Cardin, along with many others, can be found painted on the walls of the exhibit as it absorbs viewers into the minds of Gaultier and his many admirers.
The exhibit is organized into six sections, each with its own theme. The themes include: “The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier”, The Boudoir”, “Skin Deep”, “Punk Cancan”, “Urban Jungle”, and “Metropolis”. The exhibit features 130 of the finest and the craziest of Gaultier’s haute couture and prêt a porter pieces worn by Marion Coutillard, Kylie Minogue, Madonna and everyone in between.
 
“The entire exhibit was amazing but my favorite part of the exhibit was definitely seeing all of the outfits Jean Paul Gaultier designed for Madonna’s tours,” says SMU student, Valerie Rhomberg, “the animated mannequins were cool too-just a little creepy”.
 
According to the DMA’s website, the exhibit features 30 animated mannequins that were thought to “add an extra dimension to the lively atmosphere”. The mannequins burst out into random commentary from speaking French to even singing. There is also a mannequin of a speaking Jean Paul Gaultier that can be found at the beginning of the exhibit.
 
As viewers reach the end of the exhibit, they walk by a quote said by Jean Paul Gaultier himself, “I respect individualities and I like particularities. I mix and match, collect, twist, and crossbeam codes. Past, present, here, elsewhere, masculine, feminine, remarkable, humdrum, it all coexists.”