Jean-Paul Gaultier in the spotlight at the Musée de la chaussure

Until November 3rd, 2024, the Musée de la chaussure, located in Roman-sur-Isère in southern France, will host the unique exhibition Roman d’une rencontre, which retraces the collaboration between Jean-Paul Gaultier and the shoemaker Stéphane Kélian. The exhibition is organized by Olivier Jault, an independent shoe designer who worked alongside Gaultier for years and now commemorates the work done by the two artists between 1984 and 1996. A period during which the work of the enfant terrible of fashion was still considered too eccentric and out of place for France. Archive clothes, advertisements, invitations, catalog cutouts, videos of Gaultier and Kélian at the time, illustrations, the exhibition, which took no less than 2 years to build, is very complete and offers a wide range of elements tracing the designer's career during this period.

Undisputed king of the bustier and the marinière, Gaultier hides more than one ace up his sleeve, and today, at the age of 72 and with more than 50 years of career, he continues to offer the fashion sphere unique creations true to his legendary originality. It was Pierre Cardin who opened the doors of the fashion world to him on his 18th birthday, April 24rd, 1970. After some back-and-forth between the workshop that welcomed him and other professional experiences, he finally launched his own eponymous brand in 1976. Although the Maison now enjoys international success, the launch of its first collections was initially a flop. It was only from the 1980s that the brand finally took off. Skirts for men, conical bustiers for women, the somewhat provocative designer did not hesitate to go against the fashion codes of the time and was not afraid to shock. His iconic marinière, a key element of his second collection titled «L'homme objet», would also quickly become an emblem of the Maison. The 1990s marked the consecration of the French designer's career: he dressed Madonna for her "Blond Ambition Tour" first and then the "Confession Tour," giving his career an international turn. He would then also be sought after by singers Mylène Farmer and Kylie Minogue, always for stage costumes. Perfumes, jewelry, accessories, all categories are covered. And he thrives in each of them.

In the meantime, he collaborated for 12 years with Stéphane Kélian, a master in the art of shoemaking. It is this production combining the talent of the two artists that will be presented in the exhibition. A must-see in this bold exhibition is the very first designer sneaker imagined by the couturier, presented in the Fall 1986 collection titled «French Gigolo». Among the selection, we find models with Kélian’s braided leather, Gaultier boots from the Tattoo collection, as well as many models decorated with the label «Jean-Paul Gaultier pour Stéphane Kélian». Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to observe and trace the historical archives of JPG shoes thanks to the loans and sponsorships of the exhibition organizer and seasoned collectors.

After many years of working alongside the French designer, it is only logical that the Musée de la chaussure decided to assign the responsibility of organizing the exhibition to Olivier Jault. Having started at Givenchy under the guidance of Alexander McQueen, then moving through Saint Laurent during the Tom Ford era and ending at Repetto, where he was given free rein, Olivier Jault started at Gaultier in 2010. «I wanted to illustrate the links between ready-to-wear and shoes», explained Mr. Jault: «It is about the inspiration of the collection and the shoes, and how the story of the two comes to life. I think this is what is interesting for visitors to this exhibition».

The exhibition is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm and from 2 pm to 6:30 pm on Sundays and holidays. Admission is free for those under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month, the reduced ticket price (for students or people with disabilities) is 4.50€ while the regular price is 7.50€. On September 14, a meeting with Stéphane Kélian himself is organized to allow visitors to ask questions about the collaboration and receive exclusive information from the most reliable source. All practical information is of course available on the official website of the Musée de la chaussure.