No trip to the Big Apple is complete without a stop in the borough of Brooklyn, a bastion of all things arty and au courant. Take the subway to Eastern Parkway, or get off at Grand Army Plaza to explore the vibrant neighborhood of Park Slope. It’s a short walk from there to the 560,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts building that houses the Brooklyn Museum. You’ll feel right at home, since the museum’s director is none other than Arnold L. Lehman, former director of the BMA. Now showing: The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. This is the only East Coast venue for the multi-media exhibition which includes 140 haute couture and prêt-à-porter ensembles as well as sketches, costumes, film excerpts and fashion photography dating back to the designer’s earliest days when he designed clothes for his muse, ‘Nana the teddy bear’ to today. Gaultier’s avant-garde designs are more than beautiful, they challenge societal norms about gender politics and aesthetics. Through Feb. 23, brooklyn http://www.museum.org. —Simone ellin
