Bead-Dazzling Gautier

Jean Paul Gaultier "Leopard Skin" dress detail (on exhibit at the deYoung)

This dress is stunning. These photographs, despite my best efforts do not come close to doing it justice. From afar the dress looks like a richly colored leopard skin, complete with head and legs, sewn into a taffeta couture gown. At close range the fur is in fact comprised of hundreds of thousands of tiny beads. Each one sewn in by hand over 1,006 hours.

I was amazed at how skillfully an animal skin was reconstructed into such a delicate and feminine silhouette. The painstaking focus given to replicate the hide exactly is remarkable. The nose, eyes and ears are perfectly detailed, as are the whiskers and rhinestone claws. 

Gautier is best known for pushing the conventions of fashion. But his awe-inspiring craftmanship is what made him a mainstay on the Haute Couture runways. Popularity and respect that are well-earned.