Patou Saint Germain’s “Beau Universel” at the Brussels City Doll
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During the autumn of 2018, the City of Brussels offered the public the opportunity to (re)discover the Belgian capital through a journey of almost four kilometers long, highlighting the work of no less than thirty Brussels artists. For the occasion, they were confronted with the challenge of transforming a display mannequin into a work of art. Invited to participate in the event, Patou Saint Germain exhibited a project that quickly seduced its organizers: the meeting of the infinitely beautiful. For a month, the curious had the opportunity to admire the “Beau Universel” of the designer from Ixelles, in front of the Brussels Central Station.
Inspired by the observation that the Barbie doll has always been the embodiment of beauty – whatever it may be – Patou Saint Germain decided to create her own Barbie of modern times, gracefully dressed in a set that reflects the meeting between various ethnic inspirations. The fact that she chose to work with light-tanned rope to dress her model is also meaningful: while the thread symbolizes infinity, the color of the rope indicates the passage of time and the continuity between old and new.
In addition, the realization of the outfit posed a number of technical challenges for the designer. Indeed, it was necessary on the one hand to think about the creation so that it would age well, and on the other hand to defy the laws of gravity so that the hat topped by a large circular plate would be effectively stabilized.
At the end of the event, the work of art was sold at auction to the benefit of a Brussels charity, United Fund for Belgium: an opportunity for Patou Saint Germain to help, in his own way and to the best of his ability, those in need.
Whether through the use of rope – a material that she particularly likes (she has used it extensively to decorate the interior of her store in Saint-Gilles) -, the enhancement of the femininity of the model, or the meeting of various cultural influences in the garment … the work undoubtedly bears the signature of its creator.