Inside a small venue at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the MMFA received the honoured few accredited for media access to the Jean Paul Gaultier Press Conference. Between the attendees, apart from renown media such as InStyle, Metro UK, Elle, New York Post; was Jean Paul Gaultier, who stood up to share laughs and several lines of heavily French accented English.

Head of Development at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Thierry-Maxime Loriot presented a sailor striped book containing unseen images and an endless number of interviews from the collaborators, inspirations, and muses throughout the French Couturiers long lasting career. The book that’s heavily published both in weight and content, was developed and researched for an approximately of 2 years alongside the designer, carrying never before seen artwork from the most iconic figures in their fields, exclusive pictures from designer Jean Paul Gaultier and overall images of his life and work. Written both on English and French, is currently available at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and will be available internationally in the upcoming months. A limited piece worthy of fashionistas and fashion enthusiasts.

“The book; I am not going to make a promotion because I don’t know how to make a promotion, but the book it’s the only one I feel its fantastic and I don’t know if we are going to make another one.. because everything is there” joked Jean Paul Gaultier when talking about the ‘From The Sidewalk to the Catwalk’ book.

The Director and Chief Curator, Nathalie Bondil, talked about the humanistic message of the exhibit and expressed how she was touched by the designer even when she doesn’t consider herself a fashionista. With the participation of Montreal based company JoliCoeur who gave more than one hundred and thirty mannequins for the exhibition and Marleau’s marvelous talent to bring to life their faces, the stills rise to a new level of artistic design.

“The dictate of beauty is that fashion is for everybody. Jean Paul Gaultier always wanted to create fashion for individualities, for singularities. What he wants to say really is that fashion is for everybody, everybody can wear his fashion.” explained Nathalie Bondil while exalting the designers work and passion captured in the exhibit.

The presentation announced the partners JoliCoeur who provided the mannequins, Denis Marleau & Stephanie Jazmin who created the astonishing animation and Smart Canada, who celebrated the iconic designer by providing two of the recognized French design automobiles with the Jean Paul Gaultier’s signature sailor stripes.

After several speakings, some questions were drawn for the designer who commented about his life and opened about certain touching topics. Jean Paul Gaultier seems to be a man of exceptional intelligence and amazing ability to look life with brilliant colours. Said by himself, to clash the dream realm with reality, everyone is sure he is living the dreamed he has been having for several years.

By Alex Margary

Fashion Editor Canada

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) presents “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk”
Photos by: Michael Ching Photography