Fashion in Madrid: Jean Paul Gautier Exhibition

Hello, I wanted to dedicate this post to a wonderful Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibtion that took place in Madrid in the year 2012 (and until the beginning of 2013). With the name "Exhibition Jean Pul Gaultier. Universe of fashion: from the street to the stars", it was organised by the Culture Institute of the Mapfre Foundation in the Sala Recoletos (Metro station: Bank of Spain, line 2; train stop: Paseo de Recoletos) together with the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and La Maison Jean Paul Gaultier.

This exhibition was international and was also held in other cities between 2011 and 2016 under the title "The fashion world of Jean Paul Gaultier from the Sidewalk to the Catwalk".

The Exhibition:

The visit included numerous mannequins and models by the French designer, the majority of them being very innovative and surprising. Some of them, on top of a moving platform, recreated the stage of a catwalk: some figures made different references to the world of cinema or dance while others focused on different urban tribes and cultures of the world. There was also a great variety of dresses, from tight corsets to wedding dresses, among others. Of course, you couldn't miss the set of sailor models that accompanied Jean Paul Gaultier in one of the rooms.

The visit was structured in different sections:.

• "The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier", in which they combined dresses inspired by Sirens with models of Virgins and the marine universe of the designer.

• "The Powder Room", where it was possible to see different types of corsets along with photographs and sketches of the most suggestive ones.

• "Skin Deep", room in which there were the tightest bodysuits that highlighted all the attributes of the female body.

• "Punk cancán", where there were some "rebellious" mannequins with different coloured mohicans wore skirts and checkered jackets along with an impressive camouflage dress. However, just opposite was the most glamorous room: a conveyor belt on which different models walked and posed.

• "Urban Jungle", a space where you could contemplate all kinds of designs, from some inspired by bullfighters to an Indian wedding dress or another shaped like a mask, as well as a leopard-print dress or an Eskimo coat, among others.

• "Metropolitan", a room dedicated to the world of cinema and focused on the universe of Pedro Almodóvar, with designs that appeared in some of his films. They arranged them in here from a green dress made with inflatable fabrics, to a model dressed with a lycra monkey with a tiger print.

The truth is that this was an exhibition that surpassed all my expectations and where I left from quite late. It it a pity that it was a temporary exhibition but luckily, you can still enjoy these models on the website the Mapfre Foundation, where you can make a virtual visit.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the exhibition:

Models of Virgins

Siren-inspired dresses

Jean Paul Gaultier and his "sailors”

Corsets

An amazing leopard-print dress:

The Indian Bride:

A fabulous camouflage dress:

Some "Punkies"

The catwalk

Designs that reflect femininity and sensuality of women

The dress in mask-form

The Eskimo Model

A few of the models from the world of Almodovar (on the left, the "naked" design from the film “La piel que habito” - "The Skin I Live In" (2011), on the right a design for "La mala educación" - "Bad Education" (2004))

A dress made from inflatable fabric

A dress made of fans

The Fundación Mapfre holds several art exhibitions throughout the year at quite affordable prices (2 euros is the entrance fee for students). You can have a look at the planned programme here.

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