I had one of those surreal moments just now at the launch of Jean Paul Gaultier for Diet Coke in Paris. There we were at the Crazy Horse on Avenue Georges Cinq, the red velvet womb of a basement cabaret club beloved of the kinky fashion set, and I'm chatting to Jean Paul Gaultier - who is looking youthfully slim and handsome a mere 12 days before his 60th birthday - when I pop out the question planted in my mind by Lucy Dunn, a senior editor at Grazia, the other day. Nothing happens in the world of fashion, feminist culture and celebrity without Lucy getting a sniff of it first, and this despite the fact she is in a field with three boys and a skateboard at present. Really, the woman is astounding.
So I ask him, "Jean Paul, I hear you are designing costumes for the forthcoming Madonna Tour?"
Or MDNA. Or whatever she is calling herself at the moment. "But ow do yoo knoaw?" he responded in his lovable Franglais looking visibly surprised at my obviously inside information. "Aha!" I answered, cryptically. The answer came in the affirmative "Well, yes. Yes I am. You are verrry well informed! Mebbee you know as much as me!" Then he giggled, but in a manly way, deep and throaty.
Or MDNA. Or whatever she is calling herself at the moment. "But ow do yoo knoaw?" he responded in his lovable Franglais looking visibly surprised at my obviously inside information. "Aha!" I answered, cryptically. The answer came in the affirmative "Well, yes. Yes I am. You are verrry well informed! Mebbee you know as much as me!" Then he giggled, but in a manly way, deep and throaty.
He said a bit more, but I'm writing it up for a piece in Grazia that comes out on May 1. But, guys! JPG for Madonna! Again, 22 years after he did it the first time for her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990. I was a mere teenager when this happened. And it did HAPPEN to me. I was there at Wembley, strung out on cola bottles and crisps to keep my energy up so I could wait for hours to see Madonna- the most powerful star on planet earth. Jean Paul Gaultier's work for Madge was seared onto my mind both conscious and unconscious F O R E V E R.
Almost instantly I had a black leather corset all-in-one swimsuit type thing with cone shaped boobs run up for me by a man called Steve, which he made out of an old leather trench coat . I wore it out clubbing and kept my money, keys and bits and bobs in the cone booby parts. The cone shaped tit parts of my leather Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier inspired club wear doubled as my handbag. Of course I started a trend at Troll and Trade, the two clubs I attended on a religious basis.
Can't wait to see what JPG and MDNA come up with together. In the meantime....
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| Madonna cavorting in JPG during her Blond Ambition tour, 1990 (image from www.film.com) |
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| Mmmmm.....(image from nickverreos.blogspot.co.uk) Of course, JPG also worked with Madonna on her 2006 "Confessions" tour. That Equestrienne lady and her "show ponies" are go! Quite possibly the best take on equestrian EVER... |
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| (image from blogs.sun-sentinel.com) |