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Brisbane Emerges as a Cultural Hub with Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show
Discover how Brisbane is transforming into a vibrant cultural hub, spotlighted by Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show. Experience the fusion of fashion and art in this captivating event that showcases creativity and innovation in the heart of Australia.
Is Brisbane Ready to Be the Equal of Sydney and Melbourne?
By Julia Bergin
Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Fashion Freak Show,” has arrived in Brisbane, Australia, creating quite a stir.
The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This week’s issue is written by Julia Bergin.
Traditionally, Brisbane has occupied the third spot behind Sydney and Melbourne in Australia’s urban hierarchy, both in terms of population and international prestige. However, a significant shift occurred last week when the iconic French designer, Jean Paul Gaultier, chose Brisbane as the exclusive Australian venue for his sensational autobiographical theater/cabaret cross-couture production, “Fashion Freak Show.”
This captivating show, which debuted last weekend and will continue through September 15 as part of the Brisbane Festival, is a dazzling blend of song, dance, burlesque, acrobatics, and runway presentation, all narrating the life and creative journey of Gaultier himself.
Despite his illustrious career and the admiration of Australian luminaries like singer Kylie Minogue and actress Nicole Kidman, Gaultier had never before staged a couture runway show or theatrical production in Australia. This makes the Brisbane Festival an especially momentous occasion for the city.
Brisbane is not merely basking in the limelight of this fashion event; it is also preparing for a monumental future as it gears up to host one of the world’s premier sporting events: the Summer Olympics in 2032.
Elin Charles-Edwards, a demographer and associate professor at the University of Queensland, pointed out that while many Australians may still perceive Brisbane as less than its southern counterparts, the city’s cultural vibrancy and demographic expansion tell a different story. Over the past five decades, Brisbane’s population has surged at a rate twice that of Sydney and Melbourne, with the latest census revealing that the greater Brisbane area is home to over 2.5 million residents.