Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
International

Jean Paul Gaultier Reflects On Madonna And Shock 'Au Revoir' To Ready-To-Wear

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Apr, 2015 01:38 PM

    PARIS — He may be one of the world's most famous designers, but Jean Paul Gaultier seems to be falling out of love with the fashion industry.

    The French couturier — who found fame putting Madonna in a conical bra and helped shape global trends for four decades — shocked the fashion world by ending his ready-to-wear and menswear lines earlier this year.

    And in a candid interview with The Associated Press, the 62-year-old — whose signature peroxide quiff has now rather symbolically greyed — explained why.

    "Too many clothes kills clothes ... Fashion has changed. A proliferation of clothing. Eight collections per season — that's 16 a year," he said.

    "The system doesn't work ... There aren't enough people to buy them. We're making clothes that aren't destined to be worn," he added as he stood beside a mannequin sporting one of his giant, pointy bustiers.

    Gaultier gave his grave prognosis on the health of fashion from the newest leg of his acclaimed retrospective, which has travelled from Montreal to Rotterdam to London — and is now in Paris. The scope of the exhibit, from top hats made of human hair to bondage outfits and corsets made of ribbon, showcases Gaultier's brilliance and theatrical flair.

    And his launch party — attended by the likes of Kylie Minogue, Catherine Deneuve and Nana Mouskouri — was testament to his enduring popularity.

    But the retrospective also feels like it heralds the end of an era. The one-time enfant terrible was once seen as the heir to Yves Saint Laurent, but in recent seasons his womenswear shows failed to impress top critics who judged that his designs now lacked coherence.

    "It fits very well that (the exhibit) is now in Paris, at a time when I've stopped ready-to-wear," Gaultier said, without nostalgia.

    The designer said that he ended his 38-year-old womenswear line because he was fed up with the non-stop merchandizing, commercialization and marketing that the frenetic ready-to-wear industries demand. Instead, he wanted to concentrate of his profitable couture line, which he presents in Paris in January and July each year, as well as his theatre and cinema work.

    "I continue doing the things that I like," he said. "It's almost a luxury, is it not?"

    Gaultier isn't the only one disillusioned with a luxury industry that's bursting at the seams. Today, for example, there are some 100 collections presented four times a year in Paris alone.

    Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf gave up their ready-to-wear line this year too, citing similar reasons as Gaultier. They just couldn't keep up with the grueling pace of the industry and wanted to concentrate on couture.

    So what is the solution for the fashion-conscious consumer?

    It might sound shocking for a designer who's now concentrating on his astronomically-priced haute couture line — but Gaultier's advice is to go to the high street.

    "There are labels that do inexpensive clothes very well, like Zara, H&M, Uniqlo. People can dress well for not too much money," he said. "So why go and buy expensive clothes?"

    Gaultier, a man known for his cheeky humour, cannot stay gloomy for long.

    Looking back through his four decades of creations he recalls the surprising origin of the bustier that first made him a household name in the U.S. —when a certain pop star from Michigan wore it on her "Blond Ambition" tour in 1990.

    "It was not Madonna who wore my first conical bra, it was Nana my Teddy Bear. And when I was six, I wanted to have a doll, but my parents didn't find it politically correct for a boy," he said.

    Madonna is still very much in his heart — and he defended her against ageist criticism that her fall in this year's Brit Awards showed that, at 56 years old, she should be hanging up her pointy bra once and for all.

    "Why do they attack her because of her age, and they don't do it to men?" he asked.

    "She got up as if it was nothing and to fall must have hurt a lot. She could have killed herself," he said. "She's a miracle because, well, she's Madonna."

    The famed bra — and his Teddy Bear, Nana — can both be found in the Grand Palais exhibit in Paris, which runs until August 3.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Michelle Obama Dances Away On Ellen DeGeneres Show

    US First Lady Michelle Obama was seen shaking a leg on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on the song "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.

    Michelle Obama Dances Away On Ellen DeGeneres Show

    Brief Jail Term For Lakhvi After India's Protest

    Brief Jail Term For Lakhvi After India's Protest
    A day after the detention orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, an alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, were declared void by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the home ministry of Pakistan's Punjab province reordered his detention on Saturday.

    Brief Jail Term For Lakhvi After India's Protest

    Pakistan Court Orders Lakhvi's Release; Outraged India Summons Envoy

    Pakistan Court Orders Lakhvi's Release; Outraged India Summons Envoy
    A Pakistani court on Friday declared the detention orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack, as illegal and ordered his immediate release, triggering strong reaction from India which summoned the Pakistan envoy in New Delhi to convey its outrage.

    Pakistan Court Orders Lakhvi's Release; Outraged India Summons Envoy

    Tamils In Canada Urge Modi To Pressure Sri Lanka

    Tamils In Canada Urge Modi To Pressure Sri Lanka
    Welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo, a leading Tamil group in Canada - home to the largest Tamil diaspora outside Sri Lanka - has urged him to put pressure on new President Maithiripala Sirisena to resolve the dragging ethnic issue.

    Tamils In Canada Urge Modi To Pressure Sri Lanka

    Satnam Singh, Racially Asbused Indian Man In New Zealand, To Get Damages

    Satnam Singh, Racially Asbused Indian Man In New Zealand, To Get Damages
    An Indian-origin liquor store owner and manager in New Zealand have been ordered to pay an Indian employee NZD45,000 ($32,881) in damages over racial harassment, media reported on Tuesday.

    Satnam Singh, Racially Asbused Indian Man In New Zealand, To Get Damages

    Apple Watch unveiled: lots of features, functions, price tags. So... Do you want it?

    Apple Watch unveiled: lots of features, functions, price tags. So... Do you want it?
    SAN FRANCISCO — Make calls, read email, control music, manage Instagram photos, keep up with your workout, pay for groceries, open your hotel room door. CEO Tim Cook says you can do it all from your wrist with Apple Watch — for 18 hours a day. That's how long the battery will last on an average day.

    Apple Watch unveiled: lots of features, functions, price tags. So... Do you want it?