Fashion and cinema: Jean Paul Gaultier exhibits work at SCAD Lacoste campus

Until September 30, 2024, the American multidisciplinary art school SCAD Lacoste, the French Cinémathèque and the La Caixa Foundation are presenting a condensed version of the ‘Cinémode’ exhibition, previously shown in Paris and Spain. The exhibition focuses on designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s cinematic inspirations and achievements.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is an American school based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, which later opened a campus in Lacoste, France, a small village in the Provence château (the home of the Marquis de Sade). The late Pierre Cardin once invested in stone here.

Today, SCAD Lacoste boast seventy buildings, including one recently purchased from the Pierre Cardin company, now converted into a museum.

The originality of the institution’s approach, as Cédric Maros, director of the establishment, explains to FashionUnited, is to open the college premises to the public not only via this museum, but also via pop-up stores, scattered around the cobbled streets of the village of Lacoste, where alumni can showcase their creations.

Among the designers who graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) are Julian Robaire, now second-in-command at Chanel Haute Couture, Christopher John Rogers, named best designer 2021 at the CFDA awards, and Kate Barton.

Also present at the opening of the new exhibition at SCAD’s Lacoste campus is Chase Shuman, who creates natural dyes on organic cotton using avocado stones and snail shells.

Chase Shuman, SCAD Lacoste alumnus. *Credits: F. Julienne*

SCAD Lacoste, a school accessible to the public through partnerships with museums

What’s also unique about SCAD Lacoste is that it builds bridges with French cultural institutions. This is to enable students to deepen their knowledge of fashion.

Following in the footsteps of Christian Lacroix and the Comédie Française, it is now the turn of La Cinémathèque française, supported by the ‘la caixa’ foundation (Barcelona’s savings and pensions bank), and internationally renowned French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, to pave the way for a rather transgressive fashion and cinema culture.

After all, Jean Paul Gaultier’s inspirations range from Stanley Kubrick’s film “A Clockwork Orange” (could such an apology for violence still be made today?) to “Who are you, Polly Maggoo?”, a demystification of the fashion world like no one else dares to do,

In addition, Gaultier has been inspired by gay icons (Brad Davis in Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film ‘Querellle’) now revered in the fashion world, but perhaps not as much on a global, national or even regional scale.

Cinémode exposition at SCAD Lacoste. *Credits: F. Julienne*

In addition to his personal inspirations, ‘Cinémode’ features costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, such as those for the films ‘Kika’ and ‘La piel que habito’ by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.

Fashion is moving out of shops and into museums, a societal phenomenon not without significance
“We wanted to create an exhibition that showcased our collection of film costumes,” Florence Tissot, curator of the exhibition, told FashionUnited at the opening of Cinémode SCAD Lacoste.

We approached Jean Paul Gaultier because he is a film buff and has worked in the film industry as a costume designer. We thought it would be interesting to benefit from his vision to tell the story of the relationship between fashion and cinema. He got involved and ended up becoming the artistic director.

We usually produce or co-produce our exhibitions with other museums, which is a way of sharing costs,” Florence Tissot continues.

But we can also sell them to other buyers. SCAD approached us through Rafael Gomez of SCAD US, who knew Jelka Music, Jean Paul Gaultier’s right-hand man. Jelka put us in touch with SCAD’ Lacoste”.

SCAD Lacoste was interested straight away, especially as Jean Paul Gaultier and Simon Porte Jacquemus were among the designers most popular with the students (17,000 in total, 135 present at Lacoste, specialising in fashion, fashion marketing, film-making and interior design). Jean Paul Gaultier is especially popular among the students as he was an assistant to Pierre Cardin, an illustrious figure in the village.

The exhibition will however not be travelling to the home of SCAD in the US because of how delicate the costumes are that have been loaned by the company and its collectors. Until September 30, 2024, Cinémode at SCAD Lacoste is a unique opportunity to enter the fantastical world of Jean Paul Gaultier.

Present at the opening and now retired from his own brand, which is owned by the Spanish group Puig, the fashion designer held a unique master class for students and guests.