Saturday, November 6, 2010

My friend JPG visits Dallas.

My eyes rolled across the white linen on the table and up a sweaty glass of ice. Perched above that glass was the grinning impish face of a man. Rosy lipped, short cropped bleached hair and twinkling eyes. "Would you like some more ice water Jean-Paul Gaultier?"

A few years back I had a series of dreams within a week period that all featured Jean-Paul Gaultier as my best friend and constant companion. However, I only referred to him aloud as "Jean-Paul Gaultier", never "Jean" or "JPG". Although he may not be my real everyday companion and we have never met, his work and his personality have made huge impacts on me and my generation. I remember what he was wearing when I first saw him on television: a tight black mesh shirt with exposed blue painted nipples. My ten year old self immediately asked, "Bon jour monsieur, Vous ĂȘtes qui?" Everyone knows his work with Madonna, whether they know he created the cone bra or not. He was a television star in England, co-hosting a show called "Eurotrash". Most recently he's been busy being the Creative Director of Hermes. When I found out that a show filled with 35 years worth of his work was coming here to Dallas in November I felt like JPG was coming home to me with outstretched arms and a leopard print velvet duffel over his shoulder.


How to do that.




Hermes S/S 2010



Gaultier F/W 2009



Gaultier Spring 2007



Eurotrash