Jean Paul Gaultier: "Women are the strongest sex and men should be able to show their feminine side"

Subversive, rebellious, agitated. The words generally used to describe jean paul Gaultier They speak of a constantly moving personality, an irreverent character and an untiring vanguard spirit. For more than 40 years of career, the French designer has crossed the boundaries between the feminine and the masculine and provoked whole generations with a dichotomy aimed at giving women the means to make their voices heard and to free the man from expectations of masculinity. .

Her first collection was presented in 1976. Her influence in the fashion world is clear from her milestones, such as the conical bustier corset that she created for Madonna and her clbadic marine t-shirts. The gender roles and diversity invested have been on their podium since the beginning. The orthodox has never been his game.

And in search of an inexhaustible creativity, Gaultier now collaborates with the samba school Portela create the costumes of its members. He worked with the legendary carnival designer Rosa Magalhãesand during the long carnival weekend, his creations will dress the rhythmists and dancers of the Sambadrome of Rio de Janeiro.

In dialogue with Infobae, The French designer gave details on this project and reviewed the influences and concerns that marked his career throughout these forty years of creativity.

-Designed costumes for Portela samba school. What attracted you to this project and how did the experience go?

-We share blue and white colors. The colors of Portela remind me of my Breton stripes (N. del R .: His striped sailor-style t-shirt that became fashionable again on the catwalk during his first parade in 1978 and that he used in 1983 in his collection Boy's toy). So when they offered me the opportunity to work with them, I said yes without hesitation. I loved meeting everyone at school and sharing their enthusiasm for the carnival. They work very hard all year for these few days and I admire them. In some ways, it looks like a fashion show. Six months of work for 15 minutes by the way.

-What was the inspiration behind the drawings?

-I was inspired by our common codes, especially the marine stripes, but I've also incorporated some of my other codes, such as the corset.

-Your heritage in the world of fashion includes conical corsets and polleras for men. Do you think fashion should be subversive? And what does it mean to be subversive today?

-I believe that fashion should reflect our times and the social realities that surround us. I feel that to be subversive today is to continue to maintain the highest standards, to keep alive the know how and not constantly thinking about what should be done in relation to social networks …

– Recently, you organized a "Fashion Freak Show" at the Folies Bergère. How has cabaret culture influenced your work over the years?

Being able to do a show at Les Folies Bergère was a dream that I always had during my childhood, which I could realize last year and that I will be able to see until June. It's been a long time since I wanted to do a magazine or a cabaret show, but I wanted to have a story. And what is the story I know best? Mine. It is therefore the story of my life but also that of the last 50 years of popular culture. I wrote it visually and I worked with a great team to make it a reality.

-You started your career from the bottom, without money or help from anyone. Do you think this has been a creative advantage?

-Of course. Whatever happens, I know that I can do something with almost anything. I entered this profession because I was pbadionate, not because I wanted to be rich and famous. At that time, young designers can enjoy a meteoric rise, but it is likely that in three seasons, no one will remember. When I started, there were no big groups and there was not much pressure from the advertisers. Fashion seemed more free.

For years, you have redefined what it means to be a man or a woman, the dichotomy between the masculine and the feminine. Where does this desire to challenge stereotypes come from?

– I've always thought that the woman was the strongest bad and that the man should be able to show his feminine side. I was horrified by the concept of "you are beautiful and shut up"(Be beautiful and shut up), because I think women are often stronger and smarter than men." This is one of the reasons why I insisted that the models of my exhibition (exhibition organized by the Montreal Fine Arts Museum) will speak.

In men's bags, there is an internal pocket that is supposed to be for the wallet, and is not seen in women's bags. It seemed scandalous that the norms of society were reflected in the dress. I have therefore decided to include this inner pouch also in the woman's coat.

Plus, when I designed the corset, I did it to empower women and not to enslave them. And in the early 80s, I realized that men were much smarter than before to get ready. The first men's skirt was inspired by the aprons that Parisians used to wear, a skirt-pants.

– What do you think, so many years later, of the nickname?the terrible child"?

-Today, I think I'm more than one.terrible old man"(terrible old), but the truth is that it does not bother me." The fact that the word "child"(child) is always used to refer to me is a bit flattering, it means that people feel that I still have a childish curiosity.

– You have created several costumes for the big screen. How has cinema influenced your design career?

-The movies are one of the most important sources of inspiration. One in particular has given me my vocation: frippery, by Jacques Becker. I saw her on TV with my grandmother and I was completely captivated. It's a sad story about a seamstress and her muse, but there was a parade in the film, and I immediately realized that that was what I wanted to do. I've always seen fashion as a living and moving thing, a decor or a hanger does not really interest me.

Later in my career, I had the chance to work in the locker room of the directors whom I admired, with Peter Greenaway, for example, or with Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet for The city of lost children. I've also worked with Luc Besson for The fifth Element and with Pedro Almodóvar in three films. I like trying to create a Gaultier that fits your stories and your ideas. When I prepare my own shows, I decide everything myself, but when I work with a director, there is already a story and a cast that has been decided without me, that's why I try to adapt in the best way possible.

-Karl Lagerfeld has died recently. Your vision and yours were very different. What do you think of him and what do you think of his inheritance?

-I admire Karl for all his talents and for his tireless energy. Not only did he design three homes for three decades, but he was an amazing photographer and illustrator. And I admire him for working until his last breath. In one way or another, he died on stage, on stage.