Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier are among the most influential and game-changing fashion designers of our time. While the two designers differ in some ways, they share similar stories of success, each using inspirations of their own to develop a creative process to develop alongside of their technical skills. Each designer had an upbringing in which they were influenced by a strong sense of femininity, as Gaultier was raised with his mother and grandmother as prominent female figures and McQueen with three sisters. Where the two differ, is that Gaultier was immersed in the fantastical side of femininity, awing at the perfumes and makeups his grandmother wore, while McQueen developed a more political and social commentary on women, as his sister experienced an abusive relationship.
Here, lays the main difference in the inspirations of the two designers. Gaultier remained fantastical and humorous. The Masters of Style Series stated that Gaultier took pleasure in the humor that his sketches of nude women brought to his classmates. This humor, he brought with him throughout his design process. Each of his shows was a theatric spectacle exploring a topic through Gaultier’s lighthearted personality. McQueen, on the other hand, took to creating similar spectacles with a more controversial lens so as to point out fashion’s flaws as well as issues in a political manner. Gaultier did question the politics of fashion through cultural diversity as well. For example, he created a collection based on Hasidic Jews in Paris that developed a large controversy. He was inspired by travel and current events, letting his freewheeling mind create grandiose ideas and opinions through parisian couture. McQueen’s take on certain issues seemed to center on the idea that beauty came in many forms and often from the non-obvious sources, such as beauty in disabled people. Each designer alike, although with different beginnings and stories, did have a free mind that would often work continuously, conjuring up ideas that broke the barriers of the fashion industry.
Gaultier, I think, had the ultimate goal to create fun fashion that drew from varied inspirations such as travel or experiences from political issues to fetishism. McQueen, however, stated in the series that his ultimate wish was to gain respect from the fashion industry–a goal he did not think he had reached. McQueen seemed to have more of a serious anger towards the fashion industry, and although he did edit and refine his style by creating more wearable looks towards the end, his fashions did create a revolution that spiked people to break the barriers of ideals and popular opinion. While I do respect McQueen’s work, as he is one of my favorite designers, I think I can identify with Gaultier’s creative process on a more personal level. Gaultier too broke down barriers in the existing fashion industry, but his free mind and lighthearted wish to create a spectacle to have people enjoy his work allows me to identify with him more. Travel was one of his main inspirations, as he stated that he took inspiration from Marrakech with him throughout each collection with color. I think travel is essential to experiencing cultures firsthand and taking the ideas with me to design. I often think of a place and a time first as the inspirational backdrop for a collection. The people and the story behind the garments are integral to the collection itself. While each designer did end up combining their technical skills with their creative minds, I think I relate to Gaultier more because ultimately, he wanted to bring people joy. I can admit that McQueen’s fashions evoke a response equally to Gaultier’s, but I relate more to humor and lighthearted cheekiness rather than serious rebellion.
