Catherine Deneuve is Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest star + front row mayhem caught on camera!
Jean Paul Gaultier always delivers entertainment in addition to standout clothes. But for his spring 2011 couture collection, he proved just how clever a showman he is.
His Rue Saint Martin headquarters was packed with heavy hitters: clients (including a young oil-type who was veiled and sabled to the floor) as well as high profile friends like model, Ines de la Fressange who wielded a peacock blue crocodile handbag, from the Roger Vivier collection she is ambassadress for, no doubt.
But what really sent the paparazzi into a tizzy was the double-whammy of Catherine Deneuve and director Pedro Almodovar, who were encouraged to nuzzle in their front row seats, guaranteeing that everyone walked away with a money shot.
Deneuve, it turns out, was a major star of the show. Gaultier had her record a description of every outfit, so rather than walking to music, the Mohawked models emerged to a silent room. Then Deneuve’s sexy contralto launched into, “Numero Un. Trench Cancan. Trench coat en soie laquee noir…. Numero Deux, Ensemble veste combinaison fuseau en lainage rayures tennis…” She spoke of the fabric and embellishment details of every outfit, which had saucy but elegant spins (as well as a few nods to punk) on Gaultier’s beloved signatures. Gowns included a hot pink one-shoulder trench style, a cutout corset, and Breton stripe panels of ruffled tulle. Even if we didn’t understand all the French, Deneuve’s voiceover drove home the point that couture is much more than just a publicity machine. It is a painfully meticulous craft that many devote their lives to perfecting.
After the show I waited nearly 3 hours to talk to Gaultier about this summer’s exhibit at the Musee de Beaux-Arts de Montreal. I would tell you more about that now but I am starving! Dashing off for sushi with The Room’s Nicholas Mellamphy!
