Stylecurated: FROM SIDEWALK TO CATWALK: THE FASHION WORLD OF JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Jean-Paul Gaultier's exhibit includes state-of-the-art lifelike mannequins

Hey! That mannequin just blinked at me.

Actually, I meant that person.

Wait, is that a hologram?

No! The gown is on a tangible body... but, How...?!

A crew of male sailors wearing striped dresses and spouting nonsense, a Victorian-style dress with a flattened leopard sewn straight down the middle, Madonna's iconic cone-bra costumes and an assortment of cage attire is just the start of a sensational lineup at the Brooklyn Museum's The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. The dynamic exhibit--curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts--centers around the accomplishments of Jean Paul Gaultier and fuses traditional photography, garments and sketches with futuristic technology by JoliCoeur International.

The mannequin does blink...and another one sings...and a couple others speak French…

(Have a look for yourself HERE)

Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry-Maxime Loriot address the crowd and entertain questions

Wednesday morning's press preview includes words of appreciation and opening remarks by Brooklyn Museum Director Arnold Lehman, Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Jean Paul Gaultier and exhibit curator, Thierry-Maxime Loriot. Bondil expresses surprise at Gaultier's agreement to the exhibit--his first after refusing previous requests (the 2004 bread exhibit didn't exhibit his clothes). Gaultier admits that until now, he believed clothes are made for live people and were not meant to be memorialized in a museum. However, last year, Gaultier took on Bondil and Loriot's request as a challenge and a chance to embark on a new adventure. Wednesday, he celebrates his seventh successful opening remarking, "I always wanted to show there is more than one kind of beauty."

Jean Paul Gaultier gives a thumbs up to a high-tech mannequin who tells his story

At 61, Gaultier's work spans 4 decades of rebellious notoriety. Evident in the cross-dressed mannequins and his defiant interpretation of style, Gaultier redefines couture across multiple media--all in painstaking detail. From conception to execution, Gaultier's upbeat personality is evident in each piece from the 1970's to 2013. Unlike other exhibits of its kind, Gaultier's display covers a wide assortment of motifs--including plus sized couture!

L-R: Nathalie Bondil (Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts), Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry-Maxime Loriot (original exhibit curator), Arnold L. Lehman (Brooklyn Museum Director)

7 prevalent themes guide visitors through the fifth floor gallery space. From a makeshift red light district aptly christened Skin Deep to a multicultural show of resilient feminity in Urban Jungle to Muses, a new segment of creative inspiration, the exhibit embraces considerations from coyness through celebrity. Threaded throughout, interviews and excerpts of performances complement Gaultier's avante grade vision. The exhibit will run until February 2014--definitely worth the trek to Brooklyn!