Kostümfigurine gezeichnet von Jean Paul GAULTIER © Jean Paul GAULTIER.
Jean Paul Gaultier was a shy child. As a way to escape his loneliness, he developed a loud artistic voice in his fashion drawings. After having founded his eponymous label in 1976, Gaultier gained the nickname enfant terrible – though the designer himself prefers to think of his designs as questioning the general conception of what clothing is at its core. When he retired from his label in 2020, his farewell to the fashion world did not mean the end of his creative career. His visionary creations now appear on the theatre stage, with his upcoming play FALLING | IN LOVE premiering at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin. Working as the Visual Design Director on set, Gaultier curated costumes adorned with 100 million Swarovski crystals while integrating designs by young talents.
Christian Bracht: What does ‘bliss’ mean to you personally, and how is this concept reflected in your work as a designer?
Jean Paul Gaultier: Bliss is being able to live your passion. My work is my passion, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do what I love in life and to work with inspiring people.
CB: You’ve created some of the most important designs in fashion story history – including the iconic corset worn by Madonna in 1990. Do you remember the origins of this creation?
JPG: I was a Madonna fan from the first time I saw her on Top of the Pops in the early Eighties. She sang ‘Holiday’ and she has such a good sense of style that I thought she was English. After her first concert in France at Parc de Sceaux in 1987, I went to the party and did something I’d never done before. I introduced myself to her and said: ‘If you want a corset, come and see me,’ because she had worn a Frederick’s of Hollywood corset at her concert and I thought I could have done better. A few years later, just before a fashion show, an assistant told me that Madonna wanted to talk to me. I thought it was a joke and kind of forgot about it. But two days later, I asked if it was true and picked up the phone. She said: ‘Hi, Gaultier,’ and that’s how it all started. That was the starting signal for the iconic ‘cone bra’ look, which can now also be found in the extravagant costumes in the FALLING | IN LOVE Grand Show.
CB: Madonna is someone you’ve frequently collaborated with. What is it about her that inspires you?
JPG Madonna and I were on the same page, we understood each other without speaking. She and I fought for the same cause. She’s a strong, inspiring, fearless woman with a thirst for learning. We’ve worked together several times over the decades, most recently on her 40th anniversary tour. She asked me to create a look for her and I can’t wait to see her on stage.
"I hope I've been able to add my own touch; I've always wanted to show in my work that there isn't just one form of beauty but many, and that it can be found where you least expect it."
CB: You’re also a big film fan and have designed costumes for iconic films such as The Fifth Element. What are your personal favourite films?
JPG: I love films, I still go to the cinema every week. I watch everything. I got a lot of inspiration from Fassbinder’s Querelle de Brest, I made a James Bond collection at the start of my career and a ‘James Blonde’ collection more recently. Cinema is a great source of inspiration.
I’ve been lucky to work with directors I admire, for example Pedro Almodovar, Peter Greenaway and Luc Besson. It’s another challenge to work for cinema – you have to do Gaultier but in the service of a story that isn’t written by you.
CB: What is your creative vision for FALLING | IN LOVE at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin?
JPG: It’s a love story, as the name says. Love of others, love of oneself, love of nature, of our world, of differences. It’s two hours of dance, song and acrobatics, telling us about this love. I met Berndt [Dr. Berndt Schmidt, manager and producer] and Oliver [Oliver Hoppmann, author and director] almost two years ago and was very taken with their vision for this new show, by the message of inclusiveness and the praise of differences. I hope I’ve been able to add my own touch; I’ve always wanted to show in my work that there isn’t just one form of beauty but many, and that it can be found where you least expect it. In this latest Grand Show, the Garden of Love represents humanity’s eternal dream of a world in which each of us can thrive in all our colours, facets and desires.
CB: Can you give us a few insights into how you came up with the visual representation of the show as Visual Design Director?
JPG We started with the primary colours of the three tribes as well as set and costumes. As the show progresses, the primary colours change to prints that express nature – sea, fire, forest – and the set transforms. The technical resources at Palast are incredible, and the ensemble of 60 artists and the acrobats in the three acrobatic performances are the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.
Jean Paul GAULTIER. Photo: Markus Nass.
CB: How did the collaboration with Swarovski for the show come about, and how do these sparkling elements contribute to the representation of FALLING | IN LOVE in the show?
JPG: Swarovski gives sparkle to life. I’ve worked with Swarovski since the beginning of my career and I was over the moon when, having confirmed my commitment to the new Grand Show, I heard that there would be a cooperation with Swarovski. I was like a child in a toy shop choosing the different stones for the costumes and the stage. In total, more than 100 million Swarovski crystals will be used and incorporated into the FALLING | IN LOVE Grand Show. An incredible 280 of my 550 costumes will feature Swarovski crystals.
CB: What role does fashion play in the FALLING | IN LOVE show?
JPG: Everything is fashion – fashion is the way we live. This show expresses today’s fashion, the way we think, the way we live. And of course, the costumes will always have a touch of my own fashion.
CB: How important is it for you to create an emotional bond with your audience and how do you achieve this in your creative projects?
JPG: My work is my passion and it’s not possible to do it without a strong emotional connection. But I don’t think about the public when I create – I try to show the world as I see it. Designers are like a sieve in a way, we show what surrounds us and what we see. And we hope that the public will recognise and experience the same emotion.
CB: Which message do you hope to convey to your audience with FALLING | IN LOVE?
JPG: Love is all around – all we need to do is love our differences.
As featured in SLEEK 78 – BLISS. Available in print and digital here.