The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier opens in Melbourne

Two wonderful exhibitions mixing art with fashion opened at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Melbourne last Friday; The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk, and Express Yourself: Romance Was Born for Kids.
Both exhibitions would be impossible to talk about in just one blog post, so I will write about both in separate articles.
Baby and I went to the media preview of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk last Thursday. Surrounded by another 300 or so media folk were treated to a ‘conversation‘ with arguably the most famed modern day French Couturier of our time, as Jean Paul Gaultier and the Curators of this world-class exhibition graced Melbourne for the opening weekend.
Melbourne is somewhat privileged to host such an exquisite exhibition, which started life in Montreal, moved to New York and London before opening in Victoria’s capital city last week.
Over Gaultier’s 40 year career, he has worked with and grown fond of many Australian stars, frequently referencing his appreciation for Baz Luhrmann’s style and aesthetic, his unlikely friendship with super-star pop princess Kylie Minogue and last week saw Australian supermodel Andreja Pejic (former androgynous model Andrej Pejic) showing her appreciation to Gaultier, jetting to Melbourne to surprise the designer on the eve of the opening, appearing as a women for the first time since undergoing gender transition surgery.
It would be no surprise to hear The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From Sidewalk to Catwalk is simply an outstanding exhibition.
Most others I spoke to last Thursday all proved to be as overwhelmed as I, and we agreed the exhibition is almost impossible to take in on first visit. The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier features some 140 pieces of intricate garments spanning Gaultier’s 40 year career, displayed in thematic sections which make up the designers major influences: The Odyssey, The Boudoir, Punk Cancan, Skin Deep, Metropolis, Urban Jungle and Muses.