Visitors flock to Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition in Melbourne

NGV_JPG_Brooke HolmThe National Gallery of Victoria has welcomed its 100,000th visitor to The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. The Asia-Pacific exclusive exhibition has been popular with crowds from all over Victoria and Australia since it opened last October.

NGV Director, Tony Ellwood, said celebrating the 100,000th visitor to Jean Paul Gaultier has been one of the highlights of 2014.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is a truly extraordinary exhibition and a true spectacle,” said Mr Ellwood.

“We are delighted to see that more than 100,000 people have visited the exhibition, which celebrates the dramatic and exuberant creations of one of the world’s most thought-provoking designers. Over the coming months we look forward to seeing many more people through the doors, including visitors to our popular Friday Nights music series.”

Showing exclusively in Melbourne and the only venue in the Asia-Pacific region, the exhibition features more than 140 elaborate garments from the first dress created in 1971 and the launch of his first prêt-à-porter collection in 1976 to his most recent haute couture collections.

This spectacular overview of Gaultier’s extensive oeuvre also includes exclusive material not exhibited in previous venues of the tour, such as pieces from his recent haute couture, ready-to-wear collections and pieces created for Australian muses such as Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Andreja Pejic and Gemma Ward.

More than a million visitors have already flocked to see the exhibition on its worldwide tour that includes Montreal, New York and London. The exhibition is curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot and organised by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, Paris.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is on display at the National Gallery of Victoria until 8 February 2015. For more information, visit: www.ngv.vic.gov.au for details.

Image: The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk – photo by Brooke Holm