Is designer Jean Paul Gaultier selling sapphic sensuality in his spring 2011 advertising campaign? And if so, to whom is he selling it? Normally when we see a pair of female fashion models getting their L-Word on, we know that Madison Ave. is doing so to sell something to straight men. But since Gaultier is gay and heterosexual males most likely make up a small percentage of his clientele, it’s reasonable to assume that the French provocateur may actually be celebrating lesbian love.
But we all know happens when you assume…
The campaign’s two blonde beauties are Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova (left), who is currently one of the highest paid female models in the world, and nineteen-year-old Andrej Pejic who, since June of 2010, has become one of the highest paid male models in the world. Yep, he’s a guy.
Pejic’s androgynous look has made him an overnight sensation in the fashion world. Another gay designer, Marc Jacobs, also hired the Serbian/Australian model for his spring campaign. However, Jacobs did not put Pejic into any romantic scenarios. So why did Gaultier?
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Since we know that millions of dollars go into advertising campaigns, the concepts employed and models hired are not done so without considerable thought. Because of this, we’re trying to determine exactly what concept Gaultier is using to sell his brand. Is he selling lesbian sexuality to women with images that most people will assume are of two women? Or is Gaultier making a bigger statement about gender being an illusion? Maybe he’s just capitalizing on a fashion trend that began last fall, when Givenchy included trans model Lea T. in their campaign.
What do you think?
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