His gender-bending pantsuits, cone-bra bustiers and high-drama costumes have made French designer Jean Paul Gaultier one of the best loved designers in contemporary fashion. Now a traveling retrospective honoring his decades-long cultural influence arrives Friday at the Brooklyn Museum, on display through February 23, 2014. (For tickets, $15, and more information, visit brooklynmuseum.org.) Gaultier, 61, opens up to Alexa on his life, loves and legacy:
Gaultier on Gaultier
On the Original Cone Bra
The corset [Madonna] was wearing in Blond Ambition, I did it in ’82, but I did [the original cone bra] on my teddy bear. I saw one on my grandmother. I was born in ’52. It was the ’50s — the [bras] were very pointed.
On Picking Models
I wanted girls that were walking like in the street: real, real, real, real. It has always been important — the attitude, the walking, the movement, life. In 1972 I met Anna Pavlovski. Her eyes were surrounded by red and the lips black, and she was kept very sharp like that, you know? She was incredible, her way of moving — she didn’t care she was not a model, but she was beautiful. I was so in love with her. [I saw Yves] Saint Laurent and [said], “I’m sure you will love her.” He made an original collection because of her.
On Dita Von Teese
The Brooklyn exhibit will have things like, for example, Dita Von Teese, because I think she’s fantastic. The first time I saw her, I was a fan and I am still a fan of [her ex] Marilyn Manson, and I went to see him because we are supposed to do something for our show, and she was with him, and I said, “My God.” She is more Parisian than the Parisians. She was, oh, perfect. And hair — black, black, black, black, black — porcelain, lipstick, perfect. The makeup: perfect. Everything. In attire, chic. Super black, black, black, black. I’m like, “[Am I] dreaming, or what?”
On Reality TV
I quite like the reality shows. Now they have ones about food. You know what I like is “Dancing With the Stars” — I love that, I love it. When I first saw it, I thought, “I should love to do it!” But not, I will not.
On His Recent Couture Show
It’s a mix of glamorous, maybe a little Orient Express. The rest of it was panther [leopard print]. Panther was not used in the ’50s; it became a print in fashion with House of Dior. Afterward, everybody used the panther as the print but it was couture at the beginning. Because of the democratization of print, panther became almost vulgar. I wanted to show that each panther could be different types—some very classic, some very elegant, some extravagant, popular or sensual. Maybe every woman has a little degree of panther.
On His First Muse
My first muse was a movie called “Falbalas” [a French film about a couture designer]. I was 12 years old, and I said, “I want to do that, I find that so magical.” [The designer] fell in love with his muse and it [gave him the] idea to make the collection. But she was the girlfriend of his best friend, which is a bad story. It is so dramatic at the end, because they have to split, and she says, “I cannot marry anymore,” because they have a rapport. It was a movie from the ’40s, you know? At a time you cannot have any relations.
On His Legacy
I started, in ’76, my own collection. Before it was for Patou, Pierre
Cardin and Jacques Esterel and Hermès. I’m like a dinosaur (laughs). A dinosaur that doesn’t realize how lucky I am, because how many have a career of 10 years? I’ve been part of it and I’m still doing collections — I think I can’t complain.