Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit at the de Young – Going, Going, Gone!

Even if you know nothing about fashion and it never occurs to you to visit a museum, you are missing out on something extra-special if you don’t see “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk.” In just three weeks, the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the de Young Museum will pull up stakes and hit the road. Gaultier, a legendary couturier and provocateur, is best known for his gender-bending, risqué design choices and exquisite attention to detail over several decades of fashion design. The de Young exhibit feels more like performance art than fashion though because of the use of over thirty interactive mannequins that speak and emote in reaction to the disembodied voice of Gaultier himself. The whole experience is spooky, thrilling, and laced with tongue-in-cheek humor. You can get close enough to breathe on the fantastically elaborate haute-couture creations; just make sure not to touch! August 19th is your last chance to catch the collection. For ticket information, please visit The deYoung's web site.

Sources: (content) Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, deYoung Museum, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, (photo) de Young Museum, (video) YouTube