Su Ann, a 28-year-old Singaporean teacher, had never seen a couture creation up close and could only dream of wearing a pricey designer label.
But thanks to a new exhibition by flamboyant designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, Su Ann and other residents of the label-conscious city state can indulge their passion for high fashion without having to spend a cent.
PHOTO: REUTERS
They can even play at being catwalk supermodels for the French couture king who is famous for his overtly sexy and androgynous outfits. But there is a catch: they can't take the creations home, but nor would they want to.
The French designer has teamed up with a fashion curator to produce an interactive exhibition in a Singapore museum which invites visitors to take part in a simulated fashion show dressed up in Gaultier-inspired outfits.
The exhibition forms part of Singapore's annual fashion festival and offers a showcase for Gaultier's avant garde style as the label launches an expansion drive in Asia, with stores planned in Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei.
The quirky new designs at the exhibition are not likely to appear on any store shelves.
The would-be fashionistas don a white gown at the beginning of the show and walk through a series of rooms in which they choose Gaultier "accessories" made out of paper, cardboard and cloth.
They emerge on a catwalk to strike various dramatic poses and a photographer superimposes their face on an image of a real Gaultier outfit they have chosen.
The models take home a printout of their experience as a souvenir of their moment in the fashion spotlight.
"A garment is a state of mind ... it is the screen for a nice surprise," Jean-Louis Froment, the show's curator, told Reuters in an interview, saying Gaultier aimed to create an interactive experience using aesthetic and playful objects.
Visitors were in high spirits as they applied neon-colored false lips and tried out a selection of cardboard wigs before strutting along the catwalk.
"It brings out people's creativity and encourages you to break out from your shell, especially for Singaporeans who are generally reserved," said Lani Chan, a 41-year-old manager. "I think everybody dressed themselves up well. It's interesting to see the different elements that emerged."
The exhibition, which debuted in Tokyo last year, runs for three weeks at Singapore's Asian Civilizations Museum before heading to Paris. Asia is already a key market for Gaultier, contributing one-third of the brand's retail turnover of 600 million euros (US$522 million) last year. But although the Gaultier label aims to make inroads in Asia, organizers say the show is not intended as a commercial fashion promotion.
"This is a creation by Jean-Paul Gaultier for a museum. A reflection on the artistic spirit of a fashion designer more than that for a fashion show," Froment said. "This is not a fashion showcase."
Su Ann, whose only exposure to Gaultier until now was through wearing the designer's perfume, enjoyed her fleeting fashion experience. "It's just an opportunity for people to dress up in high-camp fashion," she said.
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