The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier:
From the sidewalk to the catwalk
at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 
During our trip to Montreal D and I visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and saw the Jean Paul Gaultier’s World of Fashion exhibit. It was breathtaking, provocative, insightful and simply beautiful. The exhibit which features 140 of Gaultier’s ensembles is the first of its type dedicated to the revolutionary French designer. The exhibit showcases six of Gaultier’s specific and definitive collections/artistic periods: The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier, The boudoir, Skin Deep, Punk Cancan, Urban Jungle, and Metropolis; each brimming with social, sexual and political commentary.
Running through September the Gaultier exhibit is at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until October 2, 2011. For more information about the exhibit, ticket prices and much more visit the museum’s website. 
One of D’s favorite looks (above) The amount of time it must have taken to sew all those beads and create such vivid color patterns with them is outrageous. The craftsmanship on these garments are just exquisite.
My favorite look (above) was from Gaultier’s Urban Jungle collection. The amount of detail that went into creating this gown and headdress is unsurpassed. I love how primal and traditional this piece can be at once. It was magnificent to get the opportunity to see haute couture pieces like this one up close in person.
The most technologically innovative part of the exhibit were the mannequins. Overhead projectors laid video clips of real models over the blank faces of the mannequins creating a very lifelike appearence. Speakers also projected clips of their voices in both French and English giving the visitor the impression that these figures and the garments they were wearing were alive and could jump off the stage at any time. 
Don’t miss the opportunity to see this amazing collection of couture masterpieces up close. Even D who isn’t fashion er… obsessed like I am enjoyed the exhibit and accompanying atmosphere.
Do you like to site see on vacation or are you about relaxing with a good book and umbrella drink?
Today would have been Ansel Adams’ 111th birthday and I know it might seem strange to celebrate a famed photographer’s birthday in a feature dedicated to literature but given that a picture is worth a thousand words I’d consider Ansel Adams to be one of the greatest authors of all time.
My dad bought me a copy of Our National Parks when I was just starting to get interested in photography and I remember being awestruck not only by the photos but by Adams’ storytelling abilities from behind the lens. Adams’ photos were able to capture the majesty and grandeur of The National Parks without loosing their natural beauty or connection to a greater story. The idyllic scenes Adam’s captured helped preserve some of our nations most beautiful landscapes and to this day are used to promote conservationism.
Wore Out 