Walk, walk, fashion baby – Brisbane’s latest show will turn heads like crazy. The River City rarely gets first dibs on Australian premieres, so it was a major win when Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show chose Brisbane for its debut. But this isn’t your clean-cut Paris Fashion Week affair. Billed as an explosive musical revue, this autobiographical spectacle packs 50 years of pop culture, cabaret, circus, comedy and catwalk into two wonderfully weird hours that are well worth your time.

Fresh from sell-out seasons in Europe, Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show made its Australian debut at the Brisbane Festival opening night in South Bank Piazza. It might not have the glitz of the Folies Bergère – the legendary Parisian cabaret where it first dazzled audiences in 2019 – but honestly, just being here is a thrill in itself.

Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show, written by the French fashionista and co-directed with the late actress and screenwriter Tonie Marshall, intertwines his life story with the most significant political and cultural events of the last 50 years. Born in Paris, a young Gaultier pursued his passion for fashion, doing stints with Pierre Cardin and Jean Patou before launching his own brand in 1976. Madonna’s conical bra, the iconic Breton stripe, skirts for men and sheer tattoo-inspired prints? Yep, those are all Gaultier.

The Fashion Freak Show is mostly autobiographical and loosely chronological, kicking off with a raucous dance number starring Gaultier’s childhood teddy bear, Nana. The life-sized bear struts in full faux fur, covered only by a silk pink corset and a conical bra. That’s right, Nana was the original muse behind the most daring look from Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990.

Of course, Gaultier designed every outfit for the show, drawing on 200 signature pieces from his archives. Expect to see sexy corsets, nautical marinière tops, punk bondage, 18th-century pannier hoops and a generous dose of those cone-shaped bras. Some are showcased in high-energy catwalk recreations, giving you the thrill of sitting front row at Fashion Week. Meanwhile, others are presented in more tender scenes, including a touching dance tribute to Gaultier’s late boyfriend and business partner, Francis Menuge, who passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1990.

Fast-paced video skits bridge the gaps between music and dance performances, capturing the highs and lows of Gaultier’s 50-year career. Choreographer Marion Motin brings the vogueing and posing to life, all set to a genre-defying soundtrack that blends disco, funk, pop, rock and punk. Highlights include feel-good anthems ‘Le Freak,’ ‘Express Yourself,’ and ‘Supermodel (You Better Work).’

A Celebration of Individuality

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show is not only a childhood dream come true for the French couture icon but a full-circle moment. Known for his unabashed expression of sexuality, the show provides Gaultier a platform to continue championing LGBTQIA+ causes while showcasing his most daring designs.

Bringing Indigenous Culture to the World

For the Australian exclusive of his show, Gaultier collaborated with Queensland Indigenous artist Grace Lillian Lee to create a bespoke couture piece. Lee is renowned for her woven creations that often resemble the structure of corsetry, adding a special touch that beautifully echoes Gaultier’s own designs. Lee, a proud Torres Strait Islander, said the opportunity to collaborate with Jean Paul Gaultier was “just a dream come true.” Her work has explored and celebrated her culture, particularly the grasshopper weaving technique. She learnt the technique from one of her elders, Uncle Ken Thaiday, a Torres Strait Islander artist renowned for his headdresses and dance masks, inspired by Erub (Darnley Island) culture. When he first saw Lee’s work, Gaultier said it made him feel “very emotional”, and Lee was invited to collaborate with Gaultier in Paris earlier this year. 

“I think to see what Jean Paul Gaultier has done, and to be in his Atelier, in the house of Jean Paul, was just incredible,” she said. 

“It's made me realise we can do anything, and so I'm really am excited to bring my culture and my art and fashion to the world.”

Lee's couture creation, “Medusa weave”, is a stunning piece that combines the strength and femininity of Medusa with Lee's Torres Strait Islander heritage. “We created this beautiful cage bodice, which is kind of referencing his older work, and then bringing in the woven aspects of what a body sculpture is to me,” she said. “There's these snakes that come alive on the body, and then I've made this – I think it's a fabulous headdress – of the Medusa.”

A Unique Experience

The Brisbane Festival’s artistic director Louise Bezzina said bringing the production, with 200 pieces of original couture, in a stage production to Brisbane for the first time was “so incredible”. 

“The whole city's going to come to life as of Friday night,” she said.

“Those that came last year, I can assure you, you're going to be in for a treat”. 

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show is playing in Brisbane from August 30 to 15 September 15, 2024. You can find out more at brisbanefestival.com. 

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.