Jean Paul Gaultier. World of fashion. From the sidewalk to the catwalk

This exhibition presented the work of the French designer Jean Paul Gaultier for the first time in Spain, through a selection of pieces created from the 1970s to 2010, with many hailing from the artist’s own private collection.

The exhibition

Fundación MAPFRE organized this first international retrospective dedicated to the designer known as the “enfant terrible” of the fashion world, based on the need to create an influential research project about the artist, his work, and his influence on the world. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and the Jean Paul Gaultier company.

The exhibition covered the fashion designer’s entire career and highlighted the creations which form part of the collective imagination associated with the designer to this day. More than 110 haute-couture and prêt-a-porter pieces, outfits designed for the catwalk and a selection of audiovisual recordings, interviews, drawings and images were brought together in this exhibition revealing the most daring transgressions and creations of this fashion genius. There were also pieces by Pierre et Gilles, Peter Lindbergh, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Richard Avedon and Mario Testino, bearing witness to his career, beyond the sphere of the fashion world.

The exhibition revealed how Spanish influences were ever present in Gaultier’s work given that he has worked in close collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar. The cinematographer loaned sketches and elements of the creative process and wardrobe for films such as La piel que habito, Kika and La mala educación exclusively for this occasion, thus making this a one-off opportunity to learn more about both artists’ worlds.

Designed more like a contemporary installation than a retrospective, the exhibition was divided into six sections.

Press Kit (729 KB)