Thread: There has been a some discussion on the TL surrounding Jean Paul Gaultier (JPG) and Angela Dean and the idea that he’s been taking credit for her work or that he’s been basing his work with Madonna on what she did previously. Let’s “do our research” and look at the facts

Angela Dean states that she was commissioned by Madonna’s costume designer at the time Marlene Stewart to design the corset for Madonna’s Open Your Heart video in 1987 and the following Who’s That Girl Tour in that same year. Remember that date, 1987.

She has said that she made about 10 of these Bullet Bra bustiers (dupes for the tour duration) and a gold one that she says JPG referenced for the Blond Ambition Tour 3 years later in 1990. Ppl have raised concerns that this has resulted have in erasure of a Black creatives work

In a NY times interview in 1989 costume designer Marlene Stewart talks about adding the gold pasties to the 1987 costume and the tassels to the bustier she commissioned so at the least we would say that this design is a collaboration between Marlene and Angela.

Ok so now let’s look at Gaultier’s history. The corset is one of JPG most famous references and most clear house codes. He has done versions of them in every way over the years

JPG first collection was in 1976. In that first collection he showed his first bra/bustier/corset. In 2007 he staged a short 30 year retrospective of his designs before his spring collection that year. Note the gold details on the bustier and the 1976 on the jacket in the detail

While he showed his first collection in 76 he didn’t formally launch his house til 1982 in that collection for 1983 we see the first corset gown. Here’s another view of it on Dita Von Teese and her notes on it. Note the pointed cone bra detail of a 1950s Bullet Bra.

Additionally in 1984 he began to show even more exaggerated versions of the cone bras in his collection for that season. Gaultier has said he’s been fixated on the cones since he was child fashioning his own versions on his teddy bear shown below. Note the 50’s versions

Ok so we have established that Gaultier did them first but what about the ones he was most famous for from Madonna’s 1990s Blonde Ambition Tour. How did that come about? June 1990 Gaultier was interviewed about that by Glamour Magazine. Here’s a timeline from the magazine

So we see there Madonna wants tour costume items based on the GAULTIER clothes she already owns. Madonna did not work with costume designer Marlene Stewart for the 1990 BA tour but she she did work with her exclusively from 1985 til 1990

Let’s see what Madonna has to say about it. In 2011 Gaultier staged a huge exhibition of his work and in the fantastic accompanying coffee table book “From Sidewalk to Catwalk” Madonna was interviewed and asked about how Gaultier came to do her tour costumes. Here are her words.

So it says there she knew about his clothes because she wore one of his corset dresses to the Desperately Seeking Susan Premiere in 1985. The dress is from his S/S 1985 collection Note the slight cone shape of the bust and suspender straps on the dress, a Gaultier design code.

Madonna’s costume designer Marlene Stewart no longer worked with her by the time of 1990’s BA tour. But she did began working with her that same year that she wore that JPG dress (that she purchased) But what about Marlene’s collab with Black designer Angela Dean?

For many reasons (time, money, availability)when a Stylist is working on a consistent look for an artist they may often commission smaller designers to create looks based on another larger designers work that they are referencing for that era.