First retrospective of Jean Paul Gaultier to launch

From 17 June - 2 October 2011, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) will present The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, the first retrospective devoted to the French couturier. Organised to mark the 35th anniversary of the designer’s own label it will feature approximately 120 ensembles created between 1976 and 2010, mainly from the designer’s couture collections, but also from his prêt‐à‐porter line, accessories and cult fragrances. Sketches, stage costumes, excerpts from films, runway shows, concerts, videos, dance performances, interviews and television programmes will all provide a look at the world of Gaultier. Photography will also be shown featuring previously unreleased prints from renowned contemporary photographers and artists. The exhibition will be organised along five different sections - Paris, Fusions, Multi‐Gender, Eurotrash/X‐Rated and Metropolis.

A monograph comprising 424 pages and 500 illustrations will also launch in November priced at £65.00 and will include interviews with Gaultier’s mentors, muses and colleagues, as well as the artists he has worked with. This will also include an essay written by Suzy Menkes, journalist at The New York Times and fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, and two interviews with the designer himself.