The conical bra, a silhouette that reshaped fashion's relationship with the body, found its most famous advocate in Jean Paul Gaultier and his muse, Madonna. Their collaboration, which began with the 1990 Blond Ambition tour, transformed innerwear into a statement of empowerment and rebellion. Yet on September 24, 1992, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, they elevated provocation to philanthropy. At a benefit for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, Madonna appeared in a pinstriped dress topped with a leather harness. She unbuttoned her black jacket to reveal her bare breasts, framed by the harness - a gesture that drew thunderous applause from over 5,000 guests and raised nearly $700,000. This moment was not merely spectacle; it was a strategic use of celebrity to fund AIDS research, a cause Gaultier continues to champion as an ambassador for Sidaction in France. The bra itself traces its lineage to Gaultier's first dress in 1971, which accidentally exposed the wearer's chest, presaging his lifelong fascination with the female form. Brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, founded in 1982, have since redefined lingerie as armor, not concealment. Madonna's 1992 dress, last displayed at Gaultier's 2015 Grand Palais retrospective, reminds us that lingerie's history is one of both rebellion and responsibility - a narrative The Lingerie Museum is proud to preserve.
Originally reported by WWD