{"id":4776,"date":"2022-03-10T14:49:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T14:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/?p=4776"},"modified":"2022-03-10T14:49:19","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T14:49:19","slug":"is-jean-paul-gauthiers-fashion-freak-show-any-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4guysmagazine.com\/?p=4776","title":{"rendered":"Is Jean-Paul Gauthier’s Fashion Freak Show any good?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

French fashion designer\u00a0Jean-Paul Gaultier<\/strong>\u00a0has never been one to play by the rules. The now 67-year-old never formally studied fashion but got his big break working for Pierre Cardin in the early 1970s. He launched his own first collection at the midpoint of that decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His gender-fluid approach to design \u2013 putting men in skirts in the 1980s and shunning demure, dress design for more confrontational women\u2019s couture \u2013 quickly earned him the moniker of the enfant terrible<\/em> of French fashion. He gleefully embraced the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, whereas enfant terrible<\/em> successors such as Alexander McQueen dwelled on the macabre and dark, a camp playfulness often underpinned Gaultier\u2019s work. This led to collaborations with such people as Spanish film director Pedro Almodavar, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the mid-90s, he made the surprising decision to co-host the British TV show Eurotrash<\/strong>. It brought his brand and fame to a whole new audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaultier: Fashion Freak Show<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

His decision to create a stage show \u2013 part Burlesque, part fashion show, part stage musical \u2013 is another leftfield decision, which, like Eurotrash, could initially be viewed with wariness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gaultier says Fashion Freak Show<\/strong>, which first premiered in Paris in late 2018, is the realization of a dream he\u2019s had since childhood. His beloved grandma indulged his love of fashion and allowed him to play with her corsets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He fell in love with the movie Falbalas<\/a> and learned of Paris\u2019 famous Folies Berg\u00e8re. The seeds for a stage show featuring his own fabulous costumes were planted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaultier: from childhood to fame<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fashion Freak Show features 18 dancers and singers. It follows an extremely loose narrative skimming over Gaultier\u2019s life, beginning with him as a little boy, surgically \u2018operating\u2019 on his beloved teddy bear and getting into trouble at school for endlessly sketching his own fashion designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an imaginative use of screens and stage-wide projections, with videos depicting dramatized clips of his life and those who have influenced him. It\u2019s also an excuse to drop in snippets of a few famous friends, such as Catherine Deneuve<\/strong> and Eurotrash co-host, Antoine de Caunes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musically, this is a pick\u2019n\u2019mix jukebox musical that tends to feature the dancers performing routines to well-loved favorites (Chic\u2019s Le Freak, Curtis Mayfield\u2019s Move On Up, Eurythmics\u2019 Sweet Dreams) and some classic queer pop (Bronski Beat\u2019s Smalltown Boy and Frankie Go to Hollywood\u2019s Relax).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to living vocals, singer\u00a0Demi Mondaine\u00a0performs some of the show\u2019s standout songs, including Grace Jones\u2019 Nightclubbing and the easy listening, take on The Doors\u2019 Light My Fire. And of course, there\u2019s some Madonna (Vogue) in there: JPG designed the singer\u2019s iconic conical bra corset for her Blonde Ambition tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can check out the soundtrack on Spotify<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion, sweetie!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The dancers constantly change outfits. These range between classic Gaultier creations (plenty of Breton-style tops and corsets) and new clothing he\u2019s designed specifically for the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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