The great thing about American women is their energy and the way they love to dress. French women don't really dress; they are too conservative, as it's always a question of money. In America, women are powerful and strong, determined. If they want to be an object, they choose to be in control.
Interpretation
This quote celebrates the empowerment and expressiveness of American women compared to the conservatism of French women.
Jean Paul Gaultier's quote highlights the contrast between American and French women regarding their expression through fashion and personal empowerment. He admires the boldness and energy of American women, suggesting that they use clothing as a means of asserting their strength and individuality, while implying that French women may hold back in their expression due to cultural norms and financial considerations.
In practice
During a women's empowerment seminar, this quote can be shared to illustrate the importance of self-expression.
I love and admire everyone who is different. I love that. The 'jet set' is banal. 'Good taste' is banal. Eccentricity is chic. Good taste paralyzes. But punk or street fashion or a tattoo-covered body, that is interesting to me, and that I love. I didn't go to fashion school. I learned from watching couture shows on TV and reading magazines. That made me dream.
I have always been drawn to designing fashions that are rebellious, like black leather jackets on suburban kinds, a corset dress, punk, blue jeans. I love that. Fashion changes all the time, and what is considered extreme or elegant or luxurious (or not luxurious) is changing all the time.
Dressing is a pleasure; clothes are not a joke.
I don't know exactly what is my impact, but I can say I am doing fashion my own way.
Clothes are expensive. You have to buy them, and to buy them, you have to believe in them.
It's always the badly dressed people who are the most interesting.
My relationship with fashion has always been that each of us stars in our own movies and costumes ourselves to play the part we want. You take blouses and jeans and dresses, and you put them together, and they tell your story.
For women raised in the '70s, high heels can still carry a stigma; they're associated with being stupid, with just wanting to please a man. Other women find them empowering.
You should always own a black dress because no one ever remembers a black dress.
Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.
There shouldn't be a segregation of women over a size 16, it should just be all women who want to wear beautiful clothes.
Buy clothes the size you want to wear.
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