The World of Fashion

Enjoying an early Breakfast with Randy and Seb

de Young Museum

Model of Gaultier - second from the right

We spent a day making the usual rounds to typical tourist hang-outs like Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square with a stop at the beautiful Market & Ferry Terminal building before heading back to the boat. Nothing beats a personal tour by locals, however, who know the City in greater detail. The following day, we met with Leonard’s cousin Randy and his partner Seb who graciously offered to show us some unique but less known sites of the City. We started the day with a wonderful breakfast at Trace Restaurant, located in the ultra modern W Hotel. First stop on the itinerary was the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park to see the Fashion Exhibit by renowned French Fashion Designer Jean Paul Gaultier. Gaultier is known for his creativity, mastery of tailoring, and sexually suggestive designs. He has produced sculptured costumes for Madonna including her infamous Cone Bra, designed a number of costumes worn by rock star Marilyn Manson and other notable performers, and wardrobes for many motion pictures. The costumes are amazing and the exhibits are truly fascinating. Fabric mannequins are used to display the intricate costumes but here’s the intriguing part – the image of a real person is projected onto the fabric face with the recording of facial movements (lips, eyes, eyebrows), some of the models even speak and sing. An image of Gaultier himself is projected on one of the cloth mannequins to introduce himself and his collection. We really enjoyed the exhibit and marveled at the use of so many different materials that can be made into costumes like feathers, trash bags, leather, seashells, metal, and multifarious types of fabrics and textures. The de Young Museum seemed to be a fitting place for this visiting exhibit as it too, is new age incorporating embossed copper panel exterior walls with stone and glass courtyards. What an incredible start to the day with more interesting stops yet to come – stay tuned for more blog postings.