Have you ever had a religious experience? Something so mystical or divine that could only be explained by a higher power. To those who haven’t, Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2007 Spring/Summer haute couture collection may be the closest thing.
Fashion and religion have quite a few more similarities than what’s on the surface level. The concept of both is rooted in the belief of a higher power and a hierarchy with the fashion gods as CEOs and top designers all the way down to commoners or customers consuming their content. There is a careful duty of respect when analyzing and portraying religion within fashion collections. Jean Paul Gaultier revered the visuals and themes of Catholicism within his Spring/Summer 2007 couture collection and perfectly executed a balance between religion and fashion. Gaultier features various motifs in his artistry through fabric and color choices as well as Catholic iconography.
Color and texture are some of the most recognizable elements of Catholic artwork. Gaultier uses various colors, fabrics, and other styling choices in his collection to praise the imagery of Catholicism. In one of his pieces, Gaultier includes designs reminiscent of the stained-glass artwork that can be found in Catholic Churches. The clean lines and contrasting deep and light. colors are used to create a reflective effect to replicate the glassy textures. The sheerness of the dress and sleeves also bring this point across by imitating the reflectiveness of glass. The use of lace and crochet accents typically used to decorate shrines can also be found in abundance throughout this collection. The color pallet is also notable and specific to historical paintings, holy cards, and stained-glass art. We also see repetitive use of gold and metallics to distinguish a celestial and holy presence in the designs.
The use of the color gold is apparent in not only his garment but the accessories that Gaultier created as well. In Gaultier’s collection, each model walking the runway is adorned with intricate halos and face paintings to replicate the statues and paintings with these motifs. In many historic religious paintings, holy figures such as Christ, angels, and saints are portrayed with gilded gold halos around their heads. Halos are used to give context to these paintings and depict the subject’s holiness. The use of ornate garment-matching halos gives the models an angelic look and elevates the pieces worn by the models by interacting with each look. Halos are not the only accessory to each look as the models also don some colorful makeup looks, complete with jeweled tears, a reference to the Virgin Mary and her “seven sorrows”. The makeup is also an allusion to the painted statues that we now see in white marble.
The use of motifs doesn’t stop with Mary. Many recognizable Catholic symbols stand out on Gaultier’s runway. This collection uses an assortment of Catholic iconography in original ways to venerate Catholicism and its many stories. The first story referenced through the garments is Christ’s birth. Baby Jesus can be seen in the stained-glass designs alluding to the gospels of Luke and Matthew that tell the nativity story.
We can also recognize the common symbol of the heart in these designs whether through the bleeding or sacred heart. Included in the iconography of this collection is also the chalice often used for communion, symbolizing the blood of Christ. These symbols are representative of Christ’s love for mankind and his sacrifice for human sins.
In collections from designers that include religious motifs in the past, there is often some controversy surrounding the use of symbols and the provocativeness of the pieces. In Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2007 S/S collection, he creates a fine balance of artistry and reverence throughout his work. Gaultier used these themes not to mock the religion but to imitate and appreciate its beauty. These elements are incorporated throughout the garments in ways that respect and emphasize their importance to the religion.
