So, how it works.

The maniquins have the facial structure of the actors, cheekbones, nose etc. Hours and hours, I was told, were spent filming each face in 3 D. The canisters that look like lights in the 4th image are 3 D projectors. On the wall behind the maniquins are speakers. The faceless maniquins in the 3rd image are actually the way all of the faces appear once the projectors are off.
Somehow, it was impossible, even with all of this astounding imagery going on, to miss the off the wall extraordinary creative vision of Gaultier. His collections, none could be accused of being tame or asexual, demonstrate a kind of genius that I think even mainstream French must be in awe of. Speaking for my ordinary western self, I was, well, to go to the first posting of this exhibit/experience below, stunned.

As for the maniquins that did everything but breathe, I must travel in time back to seeing my first tv in the window of Loveman's department store. When my father passed on I could not help but think of all that he had seen in his life time. Guess what? I am there.

The Maniquins. Some of the designs.

The last being, again, Gaultier as he speak. I sort of pushed into this spot only to hear him pause in his rapid fire French accented monologue to hear him say: Oh, there you are.
I did not take this personally.

Jean Paul Gaultier at The De Young

I have not figured out precisely how to get these pics on Blogger in the order i would like them to be .... still, put things together as best you can and perhaps you will get an idea of this stunning - as in one is stunned - exhibit.
We went knowing nothing about what we were about to see, knowing and caring little about le haute couture of Gaultier. Our first glimpse, as we cued for admission, was the bare cheeked maniquin in the 4th image - an inscribed message to SF from Gaultier beside him and a quote from an ad for models on the opposite wall saying in very clear words that conventionally pretty must not apply. Ok. Fair enough.

The 3rd image is the room we walked into right after this. It is a room of maniquins blinking, swallowing, moving, closing their eyes and one - the Gaultier one, immediately to the right as one enters, is talking so clearly, so presently, so perfectly that you literally drop your own jaw.
What is going on?!
At first it is hard to have any sense of the extreme fashion, the exoticism made wearable, the mind that created all of this. At first you can only stare at these maniquins, listen to ( and look at Gaultier ) and then listen and look some more.

A Moment.

A quick visit from Ariel yesterday produced a very silly moment!

EASTER HAPPINESS ON UNION STREET

A really sweet street fair occurs down on Union Street every Easter Day. The booths extend for several blocks and along with regular street fair food and "stuff" booths there were all sorts of delights - petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy castles, face painting, hair braiding etc. There were lots of Easter hats and costumes too and I cant really say that kids got into dress up any more than adults. Despite some really awful, nay, painful music from ( surely not but I fear 'tis true) paid performers, the event was truly joyful.