I never really thought about him in much depth. Actually, I never really had any thoughts about him a part from maybe the fact that two of my close friends used to wear his perfumes, and that he was a controversial designer.
But because of a recent assignment for work I have had to look into his life a little bit more and have found some really inspiring notes on his work ethics and beliefs which have made me think and I found myself inspired to write again.
JPG started working as a designer at the age of 17- and from then he started a world-changing career in designing.
But the message behind his talent is what has really drawn me. He has taken feminity to a whole new level. Like Channel did when she broke down the conventions of corsets and got rid of all the superfluous laces and thrills, JPG has also given women a chance to express their independence and their rights. Funnily enough, he did that by bringing those corsets back in.
Both rebels with a cause, it just makes you think of how much fashion represents the changes in our society, and how much women and their perception have evolved in the past 50 years.
JPG was influenced by his grandmother; a woman with an extremely strong personality and a lot of his iconic items derive from some memory of her.
(See article from the guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/aug/28/fashion.shopping3)
And so his icons are women with equally strong personalities. Models who incarnate his ideal of a woman. Any size, any race, any tattoos or piercings, JPG has the gift of bringing the woman out of herself, sometimes in quite literal terms, but in anyway, with the one intention of making a lady feel more woman just by embracing who she is. That explains his passion for Madonna or Lady Gaga. They both go for self-expression rather than wearing something they think will please others. And that is what fashion is all about.
Though some of his more haute couture designs are a little controversial, raunchy and provocative (leather harnesses, Conical bras, elaborate corsets…) I don’t think any woman in her right man would think ‘Oh, that’s what I’ll wear to work today.’ These are images of a woman. They explore and represent exteriorly how she would be from the inside. Strong, direct, straight, powerful, yet feminine and beautiful.
This is art. Art is expression, and so is fashion.
This is my favorite quote from the man to sum it all up: 'my raw material isn't fabric, it's human beings. Voila!' (From the Guardian Article)
I guess the message I want to put across is for my fellow ladies out there, don’t be afraid to express who you are, how you feel. Don’t let yourself down. By respecting and knowing yourself as a woman, you will gain respect from others around you. Keep smiling and keep trying. Stay humble and you will see the world fall at your feet. We ARE worth it.
Images found on the web.
