Cinema, specifically the film Falbalas (1945) by Jacques Becker, caused a very young Jean Paul Gaultier to fall in love with the craft of clothing. But it has been the theater, and its stage, that at 71 years old has given him the opportunity to show his genuine vision of fashion, in all its splendor and with a wonderfully provocative accent. “For me, fashion is synonymous with spectacle, it is something theatrical. In my shows – she left the catwalks in 2020 – I often opted for non-professional models because they had their own way of moving, pure, like a character, and that is what you will be able to see in Fashion Freak Show,” he introduced. yesterday the famous French couturier, who is in Barcelona these days to present a very scoundrel, libertarian and fun show at the Teatro Coliseum.
Before a small group of journalists, in the dome of the great Barcelona theater, Jean Paul Gaultier displayed his rebellious elegance. With platform boots, a tight pair of jeans – for those with wrinkles, “the older the better” – and a fitted pin-striped jacket, the designer unraveled the secrets of a life dedicated to fashion, as well as his struggle to through the needle against pre-established gender codes, its desire to empower women with corsets that act as armor and the liberation of men so that they can express their fragility. “Now that I have retired from fashion, I want to show my story and the dresses I have created with a show full of dance and music,” revealed the creator of Fashion Freak Show, which premieres on April 4 and will be on display until on April 21.
The name of the play refers precisely to the fashion for “freaks”, people with prominent noses like their muse Rossy de Palma – who in fact participates in the show along with Catherine Denueve through the screen – or voluptuous hips. It is the exhibition of a wardrobe designed for the diversity of bodies that society represents, far from the perfect 1.80m women and sculpted faces, because it is where, for the French designer, beauty lies precisely.
“Fashion Freak Show takes us back to the monster. When we talk about “freak”, we mean that everyone can be considered a monster to someone but can also be seen as something beautiful. I don't believe in imposed codes that establish that something is bad or good, ugly or pretty. I toast to the different, the diversity, because also, if we accept it, we can be much more creative,” defends Gaultier, who adds that in fashion and in this show he is committed to “sublimate that difference, value it and feel proud of it.” ”.
In this sense, the costumes she presents on stage, and which those who have closely followed her work on the catwalks know perfectly, is also a cry in favor of diversity that does not understand gender or condition. Fluid fashion is today the unfinished business of an industry that has always sought to be a mirror of the changes in society.
“I am absolutely in favor of genderless fashion. Obviously, there are pieces that can generate more or less reactions, but in general I think that now young people are much less limited and can express themselves infinitely more than forty or even twenty years ago,” she celebrated.
With this pretext, Gaultier shows on stage how the dreams of a boy from the Parisian suburbs came to fruition when he turned 18 and worked with Pierre Cardin and then became even bigger by founding his own firm and becoming a reference for high-end Paris couture.
After conquering the Folies Bergère in Paris in 2019 and the Rondhouse in London in 2020, Gaultier chooses Barcelona this year for being “a wonderful and inspiring city” and recognizes that he has always had a very special bond with Spain. “It is a very creative city and I feel lucky that a theater like this has been interested in my show and believes in me,” he added.
Upon his arrival on stage, with the help of artistic advisor Simon Phillips and director Tonie Marshall, the obvious question arose in the room: “Would you dare to make a film?” Gaultier put his hands on his head and with his particular charm responded: “No, I don't have the necessary skill to do it. Cinema is like a dream to me, as a source of inspiration, but I like to see people in the flesh, in action and live. I remember when I was little and went with my grandmother to see the popular operettas of the time...I loved how the curtain rose! “I absolutely adore reality,” says the creative, who promises to make people dance with his show of monsters dressed to shine.
