Thursday, January 23, 2014

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Haute Couture 2014



We have all come to expect a great show when the headliner is Jean Paul Gaultier and Spring Haute Couture 2014 was no exception. The theme or inspirations this season seem to be showgirls and butterflies and Mr. Gaultier did his usual best to show you a good time.



Make no mistake that with all the bells and whistles that he employs while producing a show like this, he never forgets that the show is about clothes and the theatrics still play a supporting role rather than a starring role. The clothes shown in this collection are products of an amazing talent and imagination that know very few boundaries and rarely disappoints.



Butterflies were imagined and massaged to be reflected in almost every piece which was an amazing feat of art and craft. The ateliers worked overtime to bring these wonders to a runway and that is part of why we hunger for Haute Couture. We crave seeing what can be done by human hands when there is a maestro leading the orchestra… so to speak.




The question is now, the clothes and the answer is that Mr... Gaultier craftily incorporates the house codes and vocabulary into every collection and this was no exception. What one hoped for was a special brand of slick chic that JPG has previously shown in his couture collections. While these clothes were exquisitely executed, the overall tenor of the presentation leaned more towards a ready to wear look rather than a couture look. By this, I mean to say that there was a certain polish that was missing, some aura of grandness that he has exhibited in earlier collections. For me, this was sorely missed.





Yes, amazing innovations of technique and fabrication were present and accounted for but there was something lacking. The bravura was there, the sense of humor was present but again one would have hoped for the more serious and couture side of his brain to have been on display.



In the end, I have little doubt that this season will resonate with the JPG ladies from around the globe who revel in his designs and can’t wait to parade out in one these creations.

So, love it? … NO!   Hate it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!  We can safely say … I felt short somewhat changed this season!

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