It was reported recently that Jean Paul Gaultier’s tribute to Amy Winehouse at the Paris Fashion Week irked the singer’s father Mitch, and he censured the designer’s collection by calling it in “bad taste”. Mitch also accused Gaultier of making money at the cost of his deceased daughter. Using troubled singer Amy Winehouse as a muse was ethical or not has become a matter of debate and city designers give mixed reactions on this issue.
Taking inspiration is not wrong but Gaultier should have kept the family in the know, feels designer Jenjum Gadi. He says, “The singer died a very unfortunate death, and since the wounds of the family are still fresh, the fashion show came as a shocker. Jean Paul could have shown some sensitivity and informed Amy’s grieving family about his line in advance. Taking inspiration is not wrong but there is always a right way to go about it.”
Whereas, designer Prashant Chauhan says, “Maybe the designer’s collection was too gloomy for Amy’s father and thus he condemned the show. Gaultier picked up all the dark and mysterious elements from Amy’s life and presented a collection by depicting a very negative and biased perspective. Amy’s father obviously wouldn’t have agreed to this lopsided portrayal of his dead daughter. He didn’t like the fact that models smoked cigarettes during the ramp show in order to mimic his daughter.”
Designer Amit G.T. thinks that taking Amy as an inspiration shouldn’t have offended her father because Gaultier’s collection was a tribute to her and not a spoof on the late singer.
He says, “Designers are inspired by various things and people. If Gaultier thought Amy’s distinctive style inspirational and designed his entire collection on her, then it shouldn’t be considered as a ploy to make money. In past also designers have picked up dead and living legends as their muses and it is their way to honour them.”
A designer on the condition of anonymity says that Gaultier didn’t insult the singer in any way. “Gaultier is a big name. He doesn’t need ploys to get attention, so calling it a cheap trick to make money does not make sense to me,” says the designer.