Tom of Finland 101: Jean-Paul Gaultier on TOM

28th June 2021, 2:02 pm

FOREWORD

“What I remember of when I saw Tom’s drawings in the beginning is that maybe I was attracted because it was fashion. It was clothes, not fashion, I should say. Because in reality, I think he loved clothes. It is the beginning of fetishism. What is fetishism? It is clothes! It is how you want to look like, how you want to attract people. But what I should say is that I think of him as a designer in some way, or a stylist, let’s say, because he loves to show the personality. Even the way he pictured navy men, like the little “bob”, the little hat on the side, I did that in my show. I always want to have it a little on the side. It is in me. I find that image truly very good, because at the same time it was sexy, cute and humoristic. For me it is definitely more than fashion. It is a way of life. –Jean-Paul Gaultier, TOM OF FINLAND: The Official Life and Work of a Gay Hero, 2020

“I think Tom loved clothes… For me it is definitely more than fashion. It is a way of life.”

–Jean-Paul Gaultier

“TOM OF FINLAND: The Official Life and Work of a Gay Hero” releases

  Avant-garde, provocative, subversive and rebellious – Tom of Finland stamped history with his recognizable artistic style. A virtuoso of drawing, he fashioned the silhouette of a new Gay man – strong, confident, joyful and assertive – fully participating in the visibility and recognition of the nascent Homosexual movement. With text authorized by the artist… View Article

Streetwear has a homophobia problem

  In September 2020, Highsnobiety celebrated Tom of Finland, the late iconic artist known for his masculinized homo-erotic artwork. An excerpt of the interview and corresponding visuals from the artist’s foundation were posted on Instagram. Within three days of publishing, the channel saw a spike of 32,308 unfollowers. How dare a style publication celebrate an… View Article

 

Published: 28th June 2021

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