Good evening everybody. I'm Lisa Small, a curator of exhibitions here at the Brooklyn Museum and it has been That's the home that's the home team It has been my great pleasure to be the coordinating curator for our presentation of the fashion world of Jean-Paul Gaultier From the sidewalk to the catwalk, which was organized by Terry Maxime L'Oreal for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Before starting tonight's exciting program I just want to recognize and thank our exhibition sponsors Lexis, which has generously funded the Brooklyn presentation Botte Prestige Internationale the Wall Street Journal Piper Heitzic the standard Highline and our media sponsor W magazine. I also want to take a moment Yes, let's have some applause for the sponsors I also want to take a moment to let those of you who aren't yet members of the Brooklyn Museum know that tonight is an excellent night to join In addition to all of the great benefits that you would receive year-round if you join tonight You will be able to go upstairs and preview the Gaultier exhibition directly after this program And I know that there are people from our membership department outside the auditorium waiting to help you with that So two more quick words of housekeeping. Please take a moment now to silence your cell phones and know that There will be an opportunity at the end for a couple of questions and so their microphones set up the sides for that So and now you are all in for a great treat First we are fortunate to have with us tonight the curator of this amazing exhibition Please welcome Terry Maxime L'Oreal and I know it's a cliche to say now is the moment We've all been waiting for but truly now is the moment. We've all been waiting for Here to talk with Terry and share a little bit about his life his work his inspirations and this wonderful exhibition Please join me in welcoming Jean Paul Gaultier As many of you have seen in the exhibition when you enter you have the adessee it's really an exhibition about the passions and obsessions of Jean Paul Gaultier and At some point in the exhibition when you enter in the boudoir I think it's one of the things that fascinated me most about Mr. Gaultier is to see How as a child he was already, you know ready to be a fashion designer Yeah, how did you all see Nana the teddy bear? Yes So Jean Paul can you tell us what kind of child you were Like with Nana out the story started but first of all I was like Alone child. I mean like no brother. No sister. So I was alone my grandmother. Let me see Let me do everything I wanted. So I wanted to have a doll but my parents didn't want that So it's why I have teddy bear, but that teddy bear I tried to transform it It was the first transformer. Let's say that I did so I did for my teddy bear Experiment the con bra, which I did the first before Madonna. I did long time before you know So he was the first that I experiment and like with those pointed make with carton with paper You know like newspaper on ear like that. You can see it is there on that teddy bear already I make sure come on the relation between fashion and what's happening at the moment in the society So I was looking at the TV. I was seeing for example It was a wedding of Fabiola of Belgium or Belgium with Baudouin. So my teddy bear I marry him. So I make a Wedding dress, etc. After it was the operation from Canada Will the professor Barnard who did like the operation of open art So like I have already put the con bra to my teddy bear. I couldn't I couldn't put it here the operation So I do it in the stomach, but they did the operation. So everything that was happening I was doing putting makeup and do everything. It was my co-buy. I don't know if you say that in English But it's been like experimental Little beautiful animals that I love down there, but I put acupuncture to him because everything I was I was Sowing like doing you his little pins, you know So that was a part of what I was doing with him, but also I was looking at clouds I was looking at Clouds, so I was looking in the clouds like to see faces old faces Angel anything, you know, I could see it's good because it let you when you are alone, you know, like not to be bored So you can imagine seeing and I was looking also in the cupboard of my grandmother And I should say that at school. It didn't go very well, but I was not very good in anything Let's say on the worst it was in gymnastic and in football Every time I was supposed to be in the one part of the football section There is some they say I'll go to your disgust about what they didn't like at all me So I was rejected but one thing is that one day, you know, that is how it started I think in reality what what I am doing now, you know Is that I was at the age of nine nine years old and I saw at the TV, you know a program Which was about Come on folly berger and it was in life. They were showing the premiere of the folly berger with girl with fish net with Feathers, you know and sequins, etc.   She saw the sketch.  This was the contrary Yes, it is But it's because I will tell you it's because I was like, you know, like kind of I Didn't know what to expect but like I was rejected by all the other boy of the other of the classroom You know always because I was not good at football there for the first time They smile on love and after they asked me to make sketch for them So it was my passport to be loved in some way to be accepted So it's in that time I think I realized but it's years after that I realized it that maybe through my drawing is through my sketch I could go under the doors should open on the frontier should open But I think also your grandmother your maternal grandmother played a very important role in your Childhood like you've seen that famous movie from Jacques becker Fall bala, which was really a starting point for you Can you tell us a bit about this movie how important it was for you, but also your grandmother? But first of all my grandmother she was quite a very special person, you know She was like a nurse and she has a big client, you know like so she was doing to make injection Etc, but also she was like a woman very open minded and she was she was treating our client like sometimes to make the injection But after doing like beauty massage on doing also like faith healing, you know and Giving advice also or maybe if you want to to keep your husband Maybe you have to change of clothes on there's that kind of thing, you know So I mean I was like seven years old, you know, and I was like listening to all that So so in some way it show me the connections that because of the clothes you are wearing, you know Maybe your life can change, you know the clothes not only the clothes But the hair also how you put your hair you cut your hair and maybe make something new on your husband He's always like in love even more than before, you know all that kind of thing You know on me I was like drawing drawing like the client of my grandmother Oh, she was I tried to make it but it was awful. Anyway the sketch but and how she could be so like I saw at the TV Marine Monroe Brigitte Bardot. I was Sketching the air like Brigitte Bardot or like that. So it was like the new look, you know the before and after So I always loved that and the client loved it, you know They were not frightened because I was like a seven years old child, you know, so what can I do bad? You know, so it was not bad So that was very interesting on on on another thing my grandmother. She was very permissive and Maybe she felt that I was like a little more fragile that I was a little more like What can I say sensible? So she gave me she tried to give me confidence in myself on the facts that whatever I will do It will be alright and that she loved me or so that they think it's very important I was very like Surrounded by that with my family that Support me and love me and that confidence in me. So even if I couldn't play with the doll I could I could do other thing and they even like a sketch and at the moment I wanted to make that profession, you know, because I saw the movie a lot So I come back to what you say about the movie fall bala. It was a movie of the 40s I was not born, but I saw it because they were showing old movie in the TV So I was like let's say there. I was a little older. I was 12 years old And I saw that movies that was a movie about like a story of a couturier, you know Which was in love by as a muse, you know in reality the story was very bad Because it starts at his side first start very badly. So I was crying all the time but After you know why it's because he has a friend of him his best friend that has a house of silk You know and he was doing fabric for couture and His friend come to him to say, you know, I have Fiancé and I will marry her. Do you want to make the wedding dress? So he say, okay, and he saw the fiancee, but first he is not in love. He want only to have sex So but that but that I didn't realize exactly what was happening. But the thing is that He had what he wanted with the girl Well, so that's okay But the problem is even if it was a girl that was supposed to go with his best friend But when he like little by little he saw it start to be in love with her But not completely but like that. He has no inspiration for his collection, but since the moment he met her He Get inspiration he drew he draws he draws and after that will be the collection like that because he has his muse You know on the he makes a collection But the thing is that he said to the girls that in reality, you know, it was only like that like And she has to marry with the friend.   I cried, you know It's true. I'm still when I see it I cry So that's it. So that movie I say I want to do that job I want to to be like him. I want to do like him not with not with suicide But I want to do the same thing and I will have my muse. It was my school in reality It was truly my school so So I loved it and I think that movie truly after when I work, you know I went first at Pierre Cardin and after I work with Jean Pateau at the house of Jean Pateau because Jean Pateau was dead But I went to the house and I find it was exactly exactly exactly like in the movie So it was quite beautiful. The personage were perfect. Why? Because the one that did the movie the director was very friend with one couturier of the time of the 40s With what was Marcel Rochard. So the description but you know even if you know of you have a friend your best friend, which is Come on Which is couturier you have to analyze on to see the thing to retranslate very well How it's working but me after when I was at Pateau I was feeling like my god, it's fall bala I am in fall bala. It's incredible. It's exactly that the personage the premier d'atelier. My premier d'atelier is there Mireille which is there. It was exactly exactly like that like the one to love her profession That is addicted to love Addicted to her work, you know, so it was exactly the same atmosphere So I loved it and it truly changed my is what I wanted to do not to be famous not to be to have money But to do that. Can you tell us it's a story that I love is the story How you discovered corsets with your grandmother and Armory, you know with how you've been impressed by this and I would add a great influence in your work later I should say that my grandmother influenced me for many way corset But also one thing that I will explain you because I find the corset what she was not there So what some morning, you know, she was going outside because she has to go to make injection But outside on the what I loved it was sometimes she was in hurry and she was late, you know So she was putting at that time like a big black Combina is on and like set underwear under dress, you know under dress in black satin very sick with lace at the In the low part, you know on lace here and she was putting after come on as a pullover and she was putting her Coach, but she forget to put the skirt on me. I was seeing that she has no skirt But like it was all black. She didn't realize that she was going out like that on me I like not to tell her that but you know, but you know one thing that in reality After I did collection like that when you can see the underwear you can do don't wear skirt of a ritual You wear it as a real dress So I'm sure she influenced me because of that, you know that was in my memory and one of those day Well, she was out with her underwear only I I Look I was profiting like to do something. You know, so I was opening the the cupboard I was seeing like paradise feather, which were very beautiful, you know like in art, you know things all you know And I was and I find one very strange object Which was come on which was a corset I learned after it was strange because it was Salman in satin Beautiful very shining, you know with strange shape and like less up So I say what is that? I was very Intriguing for me, you know, and I was thinking What is that for so when she came back? I tell her like that I look inside the armory which you didn't say anything She doesn't was hungry and I said but I saw that on what is this so she explained me It's something orthopedic, you know like that you can have and also like that You can have the waist very very tight on very thin, you know for the silhouette of the beginning of last century You know and she said even that when she was younger She was taking on drinking some vinegar because like that she has a contraction of the stomach You know like that and at that time you have to lace it up very strongly So you are like that and your your waist is very thin So it was fantasmagory, you know when I saw that, you know And so I loved it and years after years after many years after I It was the moment, you know where some girls in the palace in the during just after the moment where there was a punk in Paris also like in seventies, you know, the some girls around me particularly Where like the queen of the punk Edwige and Frederick Lorca, you know, they were wearing like some bras that they find you know some bras that they find in the flea market You know, and they were putting under the jacket, you know, and I was finding that very good You know, it was that generation of girl who after the woman sleep of their mother, you know that Take the bra on burn it, you know like in a rebellion and like revolution like like against the submission of the woman, you know And leave it at the purpose of freedom, you know So after that there was a post one that wanted to show Femininity but like choosing to to be feminine. This was not because they were obliged to be feminine It was because they wanted it. So me I said There's something about maybe black or maybe corsetry. Maybe I didn't know exactly what so in my first collection, you know already I put like the tutu Motorcycle jacket and on on like a little bustier, but it was the beginning the bustier and after I came to New York Beginning 80s truly in 80 81 and I came to see one Broadway show, which was It was nine. I think you know from a film movie, but it was done in in in a musical, you know And I remember as it was Lillian Monte Vecchi, which is an old She she had an affair with Marlon Brando. She was very pretty. It's a French one And she was so so proud like to have an affair with Marlon Brando on the you know, and she was I can understand And she come on and she was you know, what was nice? It was like the set at one moment. It was only show girl that were in the large, you know like who is Les ampoules and making the makeup on all the girl on stage were in Satin Salmon Satin corset On me it was the grandmother corset that was coming back or as my god my god I will make my collection like that, you know So I did a part of my collection like that But I didn't I didn't want to make exactly the same corset as the one of my grandmother So I make exactly I mean I make the same technique same way same color, but I did it in dress long dress short dress jumpsuit skirt Trouser, but with always with all the corsetry type on Structure, you know, so it was like that that I first time I did like my corset dress that after I go on even even now You know to make like a kind of new version So in fact you think that by bringing back corsetry and contemporary fashion It's something that for you in a way empowers women to Show their feminity and use their feminity as a tool of power just like Madonna did or When Madonna discovered your corsets, you know for it was a tool to become more powerful What do you think that corsetry is I think that the corset me what especially about Madonna But it was exactly in the same spirit I was in it was a mix of Feminity and masculinity the fact that we have like for example like a main suit, but fitted so more feminine and Under it a corset was a mix of masculinity feminity, you know which shows that the woman is seductive and want to use Come on the seduction feminine seduction But also she is strong and it's her that decide to do it so it was not at all a submissive orthopedic object, you know it has not even like Let's say masochistic object, you know it not to torture object and not to rectification exactly of the body it was only like Emphasizing the body and subliming the body, let's say so I think it's a question of also to Accept assume the feminity but to use it as a power, you know So it was more for the eaglity It's why after to have put the the corset for me was not going back forward in history And I did it as a corset under something you can you can also show out, you know It's not something from inside it's something can be also something from outside So it's me like I assume my feminity, but I am a woman who assumes so I decide and After I try to do the same thing with a man Not to put I put some corset even even tunnel which is there. He had some corset even he has even that you know But anyway, so I Did like for the male object I did something from a to show also the masculinity and the feminity I think is one part like a very very important for me of because we have Every one of us as men have a part of feminity and women a part of masculinity and Everybody appreciates the other part with that with a two-part One thing that you may notice also in the exhibition is You know, you have pieces like you have the very first dress that John Paul created in 1970 for one of his muse It is and so you know in the virgins the one with the bare breasts But you see clothes from the 1970s 80s 90s and one thing that I find fascinating in his work Is that since mr. Gutier initiates the trends instead of following them? Most of the pieces are timeless unless you read the labels you cannot say oh, this is very 70s very 80s so too sorry to come back to the 1970s you worked with Pierre Cardin with Jean Petoux And then you went to the Philippines to work for Pierre Cardin and at one point you decided With Francis to start your own company and do your first fashion show in 1976. Can you tell us? When you were in your early 20s, how did you decide that and how was the first fashion show? I should say that like I told you at the moment I so fall back I knew that I wanted to do that profession But for me to be honest it was not like a sinking or I will have come on a big house and I will Give order to people.  I was dreaming of a game, you know on to play his game And I'm lucky I please is that game all my life, you know So I I wish for everyone to have that, you know, like your dream and like that to go on to do it during all your life Seriously, but to do it, you know, because it's quite beautiful that so I went to different experience But for me, you know, so I have a boyfriend Francis Manouche that was with me and I should say that maybe it's him that make me Realize and say that We should jump together because I was feeling stronger and not alone, you know Because alone may be what I should have done I should have worked for like artistic director because at that time it was That you know to the house of couture, but they were all the All the place in the couture maison couture were taken, you know, so I have no choice so What to do to play for ready to work But I was more inclined to something more creative than at that time There was only Kenzo that was super creative and Sonia Riquelle that was super creative But they were the creator where at the head of the house So the only way it was like to do, you know, like when for example when some do a singer or musician, you know They there is no place like in a record company. They do themselves their own concert And after it's one record company sees them now internet, you know They can maybe be After to have a career and to make their own record.  I don't say that you have like to be like Like that and you know like a no money at all But I mean like the fact to be too much comfortable is not good for creation. What if you want to create? Sometimes that you have to find solution instead to To try to do on to be like the the ground house on the that we were doing big show in big place Etc. Why to try to do it if you have or not the money to do it You have to find another solution or the presentation or the model or the thing So it's that that make me see that after all there is not only that way to do but to find new way Because in the exhibition in the urban juggle section You see the maybe you've seen that there is a dress that is created in fact with placemats that mr. Gootsie brought back from the Philippines He was already very inventive to you know to Recycle things you've seen probably the garbage bag back dress With the tin can bracelets and all that can you tell us a bit about how you created your first-fashioned show and how it went in 1976 a catastrophe Real catastrophe but anyway I didn't know anything the first thing that I did big mistake is that I I choose if I choose we choose The moment of the show it was just exactly the same hour of the best designer in Paris of the time the ones that all the journalists wanted to see so I mean I had all the ones that were refused in in that show Well, which means it was better in reality because what I show was Let's say a part like maybe one of the I would fit on the two Who'd fit that are here are the best one, but the rest was whatever, you know, I didn't have money so I tried to find like even like Lining to make dress with lining fabric and things like that, you know But it was done very in a short time and it was not very much thought about so When the show start I didn't even know first the model I was lucky because I have one friend of mine That was a model and she was she was very beautiful I met her at Pateau and I told her to go to Saint Laurent because I was sure that if Saint Laurent should love her She did Saint Laurent she become one big model of Saint Laurent and so like she was in Saint Laurent on me I was starting my show she said to all the girls of Saint Laurent to come to my show to make my show So they make it for free and I pays them with the clothes Unlucky they were because the clothes were not But anyway, thank you to them. I must thank them because truly it's that you know, but I jumped You know, it was my first collection. So after that when you are in the water, you have to swim So I did another one. It was normal to do another one even with no money I did like that like for without at all money, you know And after one moment I was arriving to a point or my god Now I have to reimburse because I have not even so I was going To my parents I was some time to eat on my boyfriend too. He was going to his parents on the And voila, you know, and we did and on on luckily there is one journalist is that Melchertry Anton a woman that was a great that was ex-model of scaparelli and etc And she was a magazine and she's heard that there is one companion one boutique in Paris burst up that was looking for a designer to make That their collection so she present me on the woman Dominique Schouler Which was the director of the boutique. She saw my sketches. She saw some photo of the collection I did before for collection and she even can sell the person. She already booked for do the collection and And I start to make my collection through through them because she believed in me and voilà So I was lucky I must say thank you to Dominique so I could go on and make a collection that became commercial and Could be sold because he was the one before not sold at all You know, I will tell you something is why did I do the defile because like I didn't go to a school You know to fashion school for me I see what I saw in the movie. It was the defile so the clothes in the boutique. Okay, but for me what I love It was like the the model walking on somebody inside that is inspiring It was all that so I didn't know that there was also way to do it for me It was the work was that you know so to make a fashion show So it's why that I present through fashion shows that I didn't sell the clothes And I went on like that on after that start to sell the clothes on people start to wear them Thank you Also, Mr. Goethe is known for the very generous social message in his work, you know, there is no taboos There is no boundaries. Everybody is welcome in his world and everybody can relate to it and you see it in the exhibition that even in the muses section or in every Garries of the exhibition that whatever your age your skin color your body shape your gender your religion everybody is welcome Can you tell us how? What is your idea? Ideal of beauty. How do you approach? You know, you use so many different models to the years, you know from Tanel to Farida to bed Ditto You've had so many different muses. Can you tell us what how do you define beauty? To be honest, I I think it started of course when I was a child, you know Always I was attracted by people that were different So I remember that I was at school and at that time there was one girl I was in a school where it was like boys and girls after what I was like, let's say 14 14 years old and That girl was very white skin, you know and with very very afro air But red truly red, but not died a real red carrot, you know And I was fascinated by her, you know and because she was completely different from the other one So always I have been attracted and find beautiful people that were different So later on, you know when I started to work I after one of my first friend on the model, you know was black girls that was from Guadeloupe, you know from caribbean french caribbean and she was very beautiful ITs and she with her skin and the color of her skin was going very very beautifully with all the color I could mix, you know and I like her because she was different or were of moving was different after there was Anna one That girl that was like incredible.  She's fabulous and I love her, you know And and she was and she was and after even the way she was not model But she her boyfriend wanted her to be model.   It was a contrary of the real model that were Some of them I love them, you know, but it was a moment, you know of the Swedish Girl which were all blonde and beautiful, but all walking in the same way, you know, like very professional Which I didn't like so much to be honest I prefer the attitude of some that were in Some of a very few that have the attitude of Farida was unique, you know But a way of moving I prefer that or Anna, for example We had just her own way and like make news a way of walking the model, you know So all those girls For me, it was fabulous. It was super inspiring. It was my muse like in the movie, you know And after I have even a male muse which was Tanel, which is just there and it's him And he he was like very like I remember he was working like He was like assistant of a editor Elizabeth John which is doing the magazine numero now, you know a very good magazine I don't know if you know it but buy and go and buy it because it's a beautiful Beautiful is called number numero is very very good. And at that time it was Jill She was doing and she had an assistant and I don't know and then I came in sir I was like to to take some clothes like for to make photo. I said, who is he? Tell me Stanel's assistant about it And I saw him and I asked him also like he was literally like very different and not at all like the stereotype of the model archetype of model completely the opposite but very beautiful and the very Attitude and very modern for me. It was perfect So Tanel became my muse and he has his own way of walking and very going very well with a male object I wanted to show so the male object was Very well represented And he's still walking with me because I am quite Because he's fabulous only So So it's true that it's like in the movie all those person all those model Which were not model at the beginning in Come on inspiring me and give me like energy on it's true that sometimes I cannot work on Someone that are very good model But I don't know why I cannot work on them, you know on some because of the attitude only it's not only like Kind of to be beautiful perfectly classically beautiful. It's also to have attitude a way of putting I don't know that hand in the pocket or not or Walking or being there like looking in the mirror how you look like, you know, like a kind of energy on the emu Come on, you don't sound emulsion on emulsion say it's cooking. So just I don't even know the name in French anyway Excitation with Working with them but also You know in terms of body shapes you've you've used very different models like bed dito or even Velvet them or but I think that there is no only one kind of beauty. That is my first thing that I It's the base of everything, you know, I think you can find beauty in Every everyone on in anything also it depends of the angle you are looking for, you know, it's sure that come on Attracted by different people but I saw that also I remember when I was going to London, you know in the 70s There is like some very round girl very like Curvy let's say that we are dressing and like me having makeup in a very common Sometime like provocative way and having also like air curds that was like quite incredible, you know on Worrying instead to hide them. They have like some dress that were super sexy and they were fabulous You know, they were not a shame of what they were I think that is very important also the attitude how you feel in yourself if you like yourself People will love you. I suppose so I love them I say that because maybe I didn't like him myself very much physically So it's why maybe I see that in the other and I love them very much, but I must say that After that I saw there is also the ages There is some people that are very beautiful getting older and I think that is not good Me I have the example of my grandmother which was very beautiful very clever because a beauty were coming was coming also from Inside, you know, and I think it's very important like to to Still see not the age but the beauties that come out from your face from your attitude from what you say How you walk how you are, you know, so it's all that that I tried to look on not to think about criteria of What now it's in fashion what is not and more like what humanly it it is, you know But that you have not only to look to internet you have to look also on real people Don't miss that because in real in real you see a little differently Also in the exhibition you may have noticed that we have fantastic wigs and pieces Created by a great hair sculptor who's just here in the first row. Can you You always say that for you the silhouette is the most important thing. It's not about the accessory Can you explain us why you know hair is very important for you in your shows? You always have these fantastic Sculptures of hair and all the silhouette is important for you I should say that in some things that I shouldn't say that I envy Come on the address but in something I must have something frustrated of her address in myself You know because I think the air are very important very very important because it can change you It can make you a lifting sometimes Very quick lifting, you know only by the chair Look at me when I have long hair completely different that when it's it's shave on like that You know so it can give you an help, you know like in a directly physically look at come on Come on and come on the relation that you have with your hairdresser It's a reflection. I don't speak about sexual relation. I speak about like a aesthetic relation unlike the manipulation Addressors they touch you they make you sometimes massage they change the color of your hair is something they do directly on your on your physique, you know The couture we don't pins like I did to my you don't put pins on the body like I did on my teddy bear, you know When you do outfit there is an outfit that you put over you, but we don't touch directly directly the body, you know so we have not There's a something of a big intimacy, so it prove at which point it is something that Belongs to you, you know, so I Think that the area cut on the air style are very important and I love it I must say that by air by changing color of air bar by me It's really I have a reverse when I change the color of my hair when I was a platinum It's a new career that started, you know, but I mean it's look like a job But not I truly appreciate very much The hairdresser the creativity that there is and I was speaking with Odile about like what how Incredible it is like to see the festival of the hairdresser on where they show Demonstration of how they do the air on what they can do with the air, you know, it's fabulous, you know So it's very important because it's part of the person, you know on the something strange is as I Don't as a makeup. It's very important But I like it that it doesn't hide the personality, you know I like that the makeup so I am not so much into like a strong makeup And I prefer like that looks truly in natural but The air it can be because you can see but which one even if some people because there is some that are very lucky They can change all all all the air style, you know, but And they are always beautiful, but there's some people that are better with that kind of haircut and All that other one, you know, so I think you can change your life with a new haircut, you know under a new hairstyle It's true You can get married you can You know, it's like so I love the haircut and you have a lot of admiration about the work of Odile I truly we are doing like truly like a fighting of nothing. I think no, what do you think Odile? And really she does it perfectly with her art and and with her talent like she is truly like great and Not afraid to experiment a lot of things. So we'll take questions from the public Mrs You have a good voice we can You have tattoo Voila a nice one. Okay. Yes But what I what I can say if I understood well the question is Collaborate yes collaboration You know, no, it's my English which is also some time a little So no, I think that first of all what I have to say is that Odile was having her career before me And I don't mean that she's older than me not at all But I mean like she was already Odile. I'm doing things alone, you know, I think that In terms of career if it is what you are speaking about About I think is you have not to think about First collaboration or whatever you have to think first about like what you want to do yourself and what you you think you Your creation and to do your creation and to to do Everything about that and after maybe arrive a collaboration Is that a fabulous and you will find Some person which one Will make you do for his show Something and you will go very well with him, but I think it's better like First you think about yourself what you want to do yourself your creativity yourself and After you see because there is collaboration that happens that are marvelous But it's like, you know, like sometimes you have a new friend you have like that you can also be alone You know what I mean. So there is no it's a fact, but she is like by herself. She's already come on She's already Odile. I mean like it's not because that we are That she's doing she does a lot of other thing, you know on all the Designers that are talented and she does also things for magazine for herself, you know So that's why you think about yourself don't think at least that's only Collaboration can be Can be good it can happen. It's the case and I am lucky, but also it can be without collaboration And be yourself. Thank you. So short questions, please In the back redhead yes Sorry, can you please use the microphone so the rest of the audience can hear I'll pass it down Bonsoir Two really quick questions is does music influence your designs and who are your favorite designers past and present? Do I start music before no A lot of music of course influence me a lot I should say that Now maybe not but before I was always like no what I am No Sorry, it's me because sometimes I am saying what I am thinking exactly so it doesn't mean anything because I know what I mean So I explain Music is very important. That is my spontaneity. So sometimes it looks strange what I am saying Of course music influence me for example when I am alone sketching. I need music I need to have music around me because it gives me like energy on sketch can come more easily because it's like inhibition we know with the music Rockstar influence me a lot. I mean like David Bowie Boy George after a lot influence me rock and roll scene influence me of course So all that influence me To say what even in my creation I did under the work I did of course with Madonna it was a self Come on reciprocity in in creation So it was fabulous on one of my most beautiful collaboration I ever had so all that on them the rock star by himself even like the men like Mick Jagger, you know on some rock stars that make put makeup You know men that were a little like androgynous and like that influence me in my creation So that is the answer. So yes music is very important for me and Always influence me is why when I started my first collection Since the beginning I put music, you know And I was lucky also because when I worked at Cardin already he was putting music on making a show But always I wanted to make like a show, you know, like is why even last time I did like Tury like a like a dancing with the star casting, you know Where's the girl we could dance on coca-cola chat dance marvelously Kelly close also. So it was quite trap. So I always love music Apart that what is the designer that I love? I love from the past. I love Saint Laurent a lot, you know And from now also I love Eddie Sleiman very much I think it's very good what he did about Saint Laurent in my opinion But it's only me that I see about not only me, but I it's my own advice advice Think that truly he did like renew very well like the house of Saint Laurent He is truly like what could have if Saint Laurent done today. I Love Rick our Kubo a lot. I think he's quite marvelous and a Artie and incredible. I love Martha Margiela which worked for with me for years and I Love him as a person and as what he did His work is absolutely fabulous on this career is absolutely exceptional by the fact that like to arrive to be to make a colleague to make a Close and to make a label famous like he does, you know without without Be presented be present as a person, you know, it's unique and like absolutely Yes, unique. So I love his unique way and his Humanity and personality on this work most of all what else but there is some other ones that are good But for the moment, I don't see Come on Also, of course I respect very much his work. He has like a truly like Like personality and aesthetic which is very precise and he has style to be honest the ones that I appreciate is the ones that In some way don't do fashion when I say don't do fashion I mean like the ones that don't Follow the trend and make their own Inspiration is the one is what I think that is the way the most Not easy because it's like it's dangerous way, but it's the most exciting way, you know So Mugler goes until his his fantasy And he is absolutely incredible. I love John Galliano. I must say I think you like truly Yeah, I say that because you know in some way I think like he didn't do at all what did Mugler but he is like also going into his Fantasy and he's extraordinary Telloring and he has a lot of talent on the romance which is fabulous. I loved also Alexander McQueen Does anybody up there has a question because I was wondering if you ever get blocked when you're designing and when you do What where do you look for inspiration when you can't come up with something immediately? I Didn't get can you repeat please? If you ever if you ever find yourself uninspired or blocked Where do you look to get inspiration or to get your your mind going in your imagination going? Or it can be anything the inspiration, you know, it can be like sometimes some like very Come on Like reject of things that I have done can be Can be come on a movie can be Come on a book can be somebody in the street which dress in a way, which is not fashion But which is at the contrary Generally, I am not so much come on Inspired by people that are In fashion because what is in fashion is already there so I am more attract by something different You know something that is not in In fashion maybe to make it again or to make it in a new way is that you know, but it can be anything it can be colors it can be The bricks of Manhattan the colors that there is on the wall that are beautiful Like sometimes with the black black on the gray on the color of the rest of the brick It can be combination of color. It can be light It can be a show like I say like Broadway show with all the corsets, you know It can be it can be it has been also in in in Manhattan one time I was I was going out of Walking and I saw coming out of the big library, you know, like a lot of rabbin, you know Lot of rabbin dress in in their costume, you know And I said my god the force the strongness and the beauty of their costume on all them together Like that, you know for me it was something like incredible and very beautiful So I say I want to make a collection like that, you know, like for the beauty of their culture, you know, which is different So I was remembering one movie from the 70s which was called pain chocolate Which was the Italian movie very beautiful Which was the story of a man which was the Italian Yes, which was Italian and he was going to emigrate in Switzerland and it was not integrated, you know So what he did many things but also he died is air in blonde Like to make people think that he was from Switzerland, you know, like that he should feel more integrated and That act, you know, so he was blonde and one People thought he was That he was a sweet, you know, and one time he was in a bar and it was like a game football game Football game always, you know that where it was Italy against Switzerland and one moment Of course, it is Italy that win and he say way like that, you know, it was so happy, you know So happy that Italy win on everybody turn at him He is Italian, you know, so I think like it was like very emotional because truly it's beautiful, you know He tried to change but whatever you do you are what you are, you know And it's beautiful what you are so don't be ashamed to be what you are and be what you want to you What you want to be or what you are Over here. Yes, I actually have a question here on the far to your right Once while are you doing I have a question when you started out in around 1976 doing your collection you a designer only had to do fall and spring summer collection resort now in the year 2013 if you start out as a designer right now, you would have to not only do fall Spring summer you also have pre-fall you have resort you have to do special Exclusives and it's a big drain on creativity and I think a lot of designers Suffer from maintaining that creativity. What would be your advice if you were starting out right now? how would you protect and Maintain your creativity and the such a faster pace design I Should say that is we are in a moment, of course like everybody knows like of a cries like a world cries, you know And I think that the cries maybe it's also because the fact has there is many many many many many Houses many many many label many many many many many many clothes On there is less people to work more more close than people to worry it, you know So I think that's that's a problem. So what I mean by that is that I don't know If it is a good solution to present collection so big Fashion doesn't change every season is not it's Absolutely wrong that doesn't exist, you know, you cannot change the silhouette of people like all the Every six months So I think that me I think it's better to concentrate and to be yourself for me There is no issues and Come on to show what are doing the other. I think copying is not a good solution The best thing is to propose some things that is from you In which you have confidence in which you believe and if you believe it you make other people believe it Thank you We will take one last question misses here just in front, please you know, but I think it's it's terrible because you know, it's like It's terrible. Yes, because I think The difference are so beautiful and they so beautiful beauty in Africa black beauty yellow beauty these different beauties that Have to be there and we have to use as a model The thing is like it was already I Think before the seven before the sixties, you know, there was no one girl after some came and became like No, and you know and make some cover, but I must say that only few magazines show black girls And it's terrible because I you know, it's like some time fashion can be Is that you know like some Like it was like some years ago the fashion of all the Russian girl I have nothing against the Russian girl. There are some super beautiful. It's true But not all are on there is also to see me. I am very Come on, I do all my casting I don't want to speak about me me me what I do because it's true that I love the Different and I always take different type very come on very specific Very specific very different one from another one. So of course, I love black girls on boys And I love also the contrary of them the one platinum one There's a red air ones Yellow skin one, you know, it's at the moment. They are special and beautiful. I want to use them But a lace I I cannot take like one on what how many there is like maybe one thousand Beautiful black girls that there is because I have not I don't need so much model You know the problem is that I think but there is I think there is some young designers that take some girl, but maybe The magazine has not to be frightened. I'm frightened. I don't know if it is even frightened I don't know exactly why they they don't support It was when it was a Russian it was oh, okay Another another new because you know, it's one girls is going very well For example, let's say ketmos after they were looking at the new ketmos not seeing that there is maybe some of the beauties and ketmos Ketmos is ketmos on bad on bastard. Why to try to have a new one? You know exactly the same So it's a little all that you know Naomi is fantastic and beautiful and he man of course was beautiful But there is a lot now there is one small which is like absolutely Fantastic on great, but she's not totally black and she is mixed, but I think What are with come on black girls is true that we can like so close out as a color are fantastically beautiful You can mix all the colors that you you can The body generally are absolutely fantastic and they have a way and elegance of moving which is truly graceful and really Inspiring what can I say? It's true that it's good that to protest against that because it's truly a shame It's the same thing for with the boys, you know With the black boys on the I am for you know, you should make the universal color of Benetton, you know again, but it was like truly it's like something to do You know like what are what I can I say on all my love and admiration for from all the girls and beautiful like you Thank you very much. No button. Thank you very much


Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to give you thank you today for joining us for the keel laying of FFG 62, the future USS constellation and the lead ship of the constellation class of frigates for the United States Navy. My name is Mark Bandroff and I am the CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine and I am honored to be hosting today's event. Please rise for the arrival of the official party and please remain standing for the rendering of honors the presentation of colors our national anthem and invocation. Ladies and gentlemen our official party Monsignor James Dillenberg Keel laying chaplain Captain Joshua Fields United States Navy Executive Officer Supervisor of Ship Building Bath Captain Andy Gold United States Navy Constellation Class Program Manager Rear Admiral Kevin Smith United States Navy Program Executive Officer unmanned and small combatants Admiral Lisa Frankeady United States Navy 33rd Chief of Naval Operations the Honorable Carlos Del Toro 78th Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Tony Evers Governor of Wisconsin you can do what you want sir it's good you're good Mrs. Melissa Braithwaite our ship sponsor escorted by Mr. Marco Galbiotti CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group Navy Band Great Lakes will now render honors to the Honorable Tony Evers Governor of Wisconsin Color Guard advance the colors retire the colors Monsignor Dillenberg will now deliver the invocation. Creator God we ask your blessings on a new project designed to keep our world a little safer for people of good will. Frigates have sailed oceans for centuries but none quite like this one a building. In addition to speed like her predecessors she will be prepared for air anti submarine surface and electromagnetic maneuver warfare with much more enhanced radar and ages combat system a vertical launch system and more. This product project is the product of dreamers designers and builders we pause a moment to look toward you and remember that human intelligence is an expression of the dignity you endowed on humankind when you created us in your image and likeness. We appreciate that science and technology in particular manifests the fundamentally relational quality of human intelligence and so we ask your blessings on the endeavor known as FFG 62 that begins ceremonially today. Bless those who visualize this project as well as those employing their skills to assemble the various modules into a working vessel. And looking ahead we place those who will sail this future USS constellation under your protection. May their efforts and ours be in accordance with your will and vision for us. We ask these blessings of you our Lord and God. Amen. Thank you Monsignor ladies gentlemen please be seated. And if I could ask everyone to join me in a round of applause first for the Navy Band Great Lakes under the direction of Lieutenant Commander Christopher Cornette great job with the anthem and the honors our color guard today provided by the surface combat systems training command and a special thanks to Monsignor Dillenberg who has been supporting our keeling ceremonies for the last 13 years here in Marinette. On behalf of everyone who is involved with the building of the constellation class frigate I am honored to welcome everyone joining us in person and on live stream to the keeling of FFG 62 the future USS constellation. We are pleased to have you here to witness this important milestone in the life of the ship. There are many distinguished guests here that I would like to recognize today. Mr. Dario Deste President thinkantary Marine Group. The honorable Jim Doyle 44th governor of the state of Wisconsin. Vice Admiral Rick Hunt United States Navy retired President thinkantary Marinette Marine and Jan Almond Vice President General Manager thinkantary Bay Shipbuilding. We have several of our government partners here both past and present that I'd like to recognize first the honorable Kenneth Braceway the 77th Secretary of the Navy former US ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway and most importantly for today the husband of our ship sponsor. These names you feel like applauding for go right ahead. The honorable Nicholas Gerton Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research Development and Acquisition. Admiral James Fogo United States Navy retired Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy. Vice Admiral Jim Downey United States Navy Commander Naval Sea Systems Command. Vice Admiral Dave Lewis United States Navy retired from Lido's Corporation. Ms. Kate Koyfer Majority Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee. Ms. Jennifer Garner Northeast Wisconsin Regional Representative from the Office of the Honorable Tammy Baldwin. Mr. Mark Nielsen Veteran and Military Affairs Representative from the Office of the Honorable Ron Johnson. Ms. Aubrey Moore Upper Peninsula Regional Director from the Office of the Honorable Gary Peters. We have several of our state partners from both the state of Wisconsin and Michigan joining us today from the state of Wisconsin. The Honorable Amy Pajacek Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The Honorable Elijah Banky State Representative Wisconsin's 89th District. The Honorable Jeff Merceau State Representative of Wisconsin's 36th District. Ms. Jennifer Sereno Assistant Deputy Secretary Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development from the state government of the state of Michigan Major General Paul Rogers Adjutant General Michigan Army National Guard and Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. The Honorable Ed McBroom State Senator Michigan's 38th Senatorial District. The Honorable Dave Preston State Representative of Michigan's 108th District. Ms. Susan Corbin Director Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. And Mr. Quinton Messer Jr. Director of Michigan Economic Development Corporation. From our local governments here in the Marinette Menominee area. The Honorable Steve Genesot Mayor of Marinette, Wisconsin. The Honorable Kathy Mulkey Mayor of Pestigo, Wisconsin. And the Honorable Casey Hoffman Mayor of Menominee, Michigan. From our namesake community. Mr. Steve Bountress Executive Director Historic Ships in Baltimore. Home of the Museum Ship USS Constellation. And I will depart from my script for a moment to say I have been on that museum many times. And if any of you find yourself in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, it is well worth the trip. So as we celebrate our nation's newest warship, we are honored to have with us representatives of the first and oldest ship in the United States Navy. Please join me in welcoming crew members from the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides. Command Senior Chief Nicholas Albany's. Chief Boson's made Chris Robo and Aviation Technician Second Class Julian Headin. And they are joined today by Mr. Brian Miskal, representing the USS Constitution Museum. Representing our Union workforce. Junior Bone, International Representative from the Boilermakers. And John Christensen, President Boilmaker's local 696 here in Marinette. And I think you're going to hear this a lot, but let me add and go off script, right? The men and women who do the hard work of the trades here in Marinette, they're what make it happen. So thank you to the Boilermakers, every single one of you. And one of those trade workers, a special representative, Ms. Jean, Mrs. Jean Wagner, our ceremonial welder who has been with think cantering Marinette Marine for 22 years, and will be the first female welder in our company's history to be a keel plate welder. So thank you, Jean, for being here. Beyond the significance that comes with every keel laying ceremony, today's event is even more noteworthy because we're celebrating the first in class of the next generation of frigates. The laying of the keel is the first milestone in the history of each vessel. Today, our sponsor, Melissa Braithwaite, will commemorate this important event by signing her initials on a steel plate that will be welded into the ship. The keel block that she authenticates today will be combined with 33 other grand module components to create a fast, agile surface combatant that is very befitting of the name USS Constellation. Mrs. Braithwaite's husband, the honorable Kenneth Braithwaite, when serving as Secretary of the Navy named this ship after one of our nation's first naval vessels. The ship comes from one of the original six frigates of the United States Navy put into service shortly after the Revolutionary War. President George Washington personally selected the name Constellation, citing the constellation of stars that adorn our United States flag as his inspiration. Former Secretary Braithwaite in choosing this name wanted to recapture the Navy pride and culture that that first USS Constellation represented. The milestone today is a testament to that pride, not only for the sailors who will serve on earth, but the proud men and women who will build her here at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, as well as our sister yards Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay and Fincantieri Ace Marine in Green Bay. I would now like to introduce our first speaker, Mr. Mako Galbiotti, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri Marine Group. Thank you. Thank you. Mark welcomed us, but it's too humble to mention that we are here today inarguably, America's cleanest and most modern shipyard. Mark, to you and the FMM team, thank you. The yacht looks great. And I believe it looks this way for three reasons. First, we, Fincantieri, have a rock-solid commitment to the Navy. Your mission is so important. So our work every day will continue to mirror that commitment. This includes the work of our Constellation partners and suppliers. It has been said that shipbuilding is a team sport. Thankfully, with our union, our local communities, the state of Wisconsin, Michigan, our related officials in Congress and the Navy, of course. All partners of this important program. And this partnership stands beyond the United States. If I may, I would like to recognize the head of Fincantieri's Naval Division, Dario Deste, who is here with us today. I know that the Frigate Program is very important to you and for our entire company. So, thank you for being here, Dario. Thank you. This brings me to a second point. Fincantieri has made significant investment here. Since 2009, we put more than half a billion dollars into our facilities in support of the Navy and the U.S. defense industrial base. It's more than new climate control building and the latest technology like robotic welding machines. Our investments have been timely and important, especially as the Navy grows their fleet, both in men and unmanned vessels. The state of Wisconsin and the federal government have worked with us on grants aimed at workforce development, infrastructure, and hardware improvements. We appreciate this effort and we understand that a single job in Marinette means a secondary job throughout the region. These facilities are nicely important, but nothing is more important than our people. Our people are the final reason that this shipyard has been transformed again. In all what we do, our people are the difference. As the newest major player in the often-neglected American shipbuilding market, we are blessed with many legacy builders. Generations of families who have followed the realtors to work in this yard. Together, more than 1,300 vessels of all kinds have been built here by many our working people. Today, we are joined by many of our shipyard supervisors and leaders of Incan Theory Marinette Marine. Will you please stand or raise your hand if you work at FMM or if you are part of the Beef Incan Theory family. Please join me again in a round of another applause for this shipbuilder and the many others who could not join us today. Please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Gabiotti. Our next speaker is the Honorable Tony Evers, Governor of Wisconsin. Well, thank you so much for allowing me to be here. It's a pleasure to welcome the Secretary of Navy, Carlos De Toro, and all the outstanding leaders to Wisconsin to this important event. First and foremost, I want to thank our host here at Incan Theory for having us and for all their work and bringing the constellation to this exciting point today. I'm so glad to recognize this achievement and Incan Theory for their work in making this partnership possible. From the very first days of my administration, we work to ensure that the partners here at Incan Theory were best leveraged to secure this incredible multi-million dollar contract. We invested more than $30 million in my first budget to support worker training and infrastructure that met the Navy's manufacturing expectations. We also secured $12 million in state tax credits for continued shipyard expansion. Altogether, the state has supported various efforts here to the tune of roughly $90 million over the years. I also want to take a moment to recognize the incredible support of Senator Tammy Baldwin and her tireless efforts to work to support this partnership and a strong domestic shipbuilding industry right here in the great state of Wisconsin. Since the Navy announced Incan Theory's involvement in this program to build these next generation constellation class combat vessels, they have been hard at work updating and expanding their facilities to meet the needs of an effort of this size. And having had the chance to support and celebrate many of these landmark projects is great to be here now to see how this hard work has paid off. This contract to build these frigates is a great opportunity for Wisconsin to showcase a rich shipbuilding and maritime history and to cement our role as leaders in the industry moving forward. This impressive expansion effort here at Incan Theory is strengthening job opportunities for folks all across Wisconsin, especially this region, bolstering our state and local economies and creating a 21st century infrastructure we need to support a 21st century workforce. With our states constantly seeing record low unemployment, record high workforce participation, and record job growth in many of our state's key industries, now is an incredibly exciting time for business growth in Wisconsin. And I also want to extend our most profound appreciation to all the Navy leaders here for making this extraordinary opportunity and partnership a reality. You know when folks here made in Wisconsin, they know something is made by some of the greatest workers in the world. And when it comes to creating these vessels that will support the strength of our military and protect the dedicated service members who serve our nation every day, I can think of no better place to have this insurance. So thank you and great to be here today. Thank you Governor. I now invite Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations to the podium. Well good morning everyone.  Governor Evers, Secretary Del Toro, Secretary Braithwaite, Mrs. Braithwaite, Mr. Gabiati, distinguished guests, active and reserve sailors, Navy civilians, and the amazing team that is building our warships today. This is truly a great Navy day. Today we are laying the keel for the Navy's next generation small surface combatant, the future workhorse of our fleet. It's an agile multi-mission warship with increased lethality and survivability, capable of operations in both blue water and with Toro combat environments. This ship will be critical to putting more players on the field, players that the Navy needs to promote our nation's prospects to deter aggression and to provide options to our nation's leaders every single day. We need more of these players, platforms that are ready with the right capabilities, weapons and sustainment to ensure that we are fully prepared to fight and win our nation's wars in this decisive decade and beyond. Because as you have seen in just this year alone, the Navy is in demand in the Indo-Pacific, in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the Red Sea and elsewhere to meet our congressionally mandated mission to be organized, trained and equipped for the peacetime promotion of the national security interests and the prosperity of the United States and for prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea. Right now, as we sit here today, our sailors are standing the watch around the world, around the clock from the seabed to space, in cyberspace and in the information environment to preserve the peace, to respond in crisis and to win decisively in war if called to do so. And right now, our Navy is delivering power for peace but it's always postured and ready to fight and win as part of the joint force and alongside our allies and partners. It's the Navy that's leading the way with aircraft carriers, with airwings, patrol aircraft, submarines, destroyers, amphibious ships and littoral combat ships. And that roster will soon include the Constellation Class Frigate named after the USS Constellation, the first of six frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 and the first in class designed and built by American workers to ensure the free flow of American commerce by sea. That all starts today with the laying of Constellation's keel with the team here with Congress, with industry, the Navy and everybody here working together to drive towards one purpose to deliver the Navy the nation needs. The success of this class will require a unity of effort in line with the Secretary's call for a new maritime statecraft. It will take national whole of government effort from Congress, the Department of Defense, the Navy, our industry partners and the determination of the amazing American workers to meet the urgency of this time. Again, it's my great pleasure to be here with you today and I'm excited about the future of the Constellation and all her sister ships to come. Thank you very much. Thank you, CNO. It is now my honor to introduce our keynote speaker for today's ceremony, the Honorable Carlos del Toro, 78th Secretary of the Navy. Good afternoon, Wisconsin! I have been waiting for this day for two and a half years and I can't tell you how happy, how proud I am to be with all of you here this afternoon to celebrate this truly historic moment. And before I get into the speech, I want Kate Coyford to please stand up. Stand up, Kate, because she works for the great Senator Tester and in combination with the great Senator Tester, they are the ones who have made the funds for this ship possible as part of the Appropriations Committee. Thank you for your wisdom and your leadership and your conviction, Kate, in making today possible and making a lot more frigates in the future possible. Thank you for approving the two additional frigates in the 24 budget and the two that I'm sure will be approved in the 25 budget and many more beyond that as well too. So thank you, Kate. I next want to thank my dear friend Kenneth Braithwaite, the previous Secretary of the Navy, who in my opinion had the tremendous wisdom along with his wife, well the tremendous wisdom first to marry his wife, Melissa, but had the tremendous wisdom to name not just this ship, this class of ship after the Constellation. I had the privilege of a 26-year Navy career and my very first ship was a frigate, a Garcia class frigate, much older than this, followed by the Perry class frigates. And I am so proud that finally we are bringing back to the Navy our frigates and naming it the Constellation class frigates can just made all the difference in the world and as you know and I know it's a really special privilege to be able to name all the ships in the United States Navy and a responsibility that we take very very seriously. So thank you for having made that happen. Ladies and gentlemen, as you heard our extraordinary Chief of Naval Operations as Admiral Lisa Franketti say, it is a privilege in fact lead the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. And before I begin my formal remarks today, I just want to take just a very brief moment for all of us to recognize the bravery and the courageousness of the men and women in the United States Navy and Marine Corps today who are serving around the globe but more importantly even than that serving in the Red Sea today. For five and a half months now they have been batting back daily attacks on the part of the terrorist Houthis and they have done so with tremendous professionalism without the loss of not one single life in the United States Navy. Regretfully three very innocent merchant mariners have lost their lives to these terrorist attacks. We owe these men and women who serve in uniform in our Navy and Marine Corps a tremendous thanks and I'd like to implore you for those that are not standing to please get on your feet and give them a loud round of applause so they can hear you all the way from the Red Sea. And yes please sound that cowbell. Thank you for indulging me. Thank you. As I said today is indeed a special day for our fleet our Navy our nation as we take this next step in the construction of the future USS Constellation ceremony. Governor Evers thank you sir for your leadership of this tremendous state and the contributions that you have made to this city to our Navy to the very construction of this ship. Your leadership has been instrumental and will continue to be instrumental for many years as we continue to build more frigates here in Wisconsin. I deeply value our enduring partnership with you and Secretary Pahachek as the citizens of Wisconsin build the warships our Navy needs to execute its missions around the globe and as perhaps the only Secretary of the Navy who's ever personally overseeing the construction of a Navy warship let me say to all of you shipbuilders I myself lived in a shipyard for close to two years day and night working 14 hour days to oversee the construction of one of our Arleigh Burke destroyers. I know how hard it is to do this work. How hard it is to do the shift work. Always seeing the ship progress slightly every single day and I thank you for your dedication and your passion and to building this ship to building all of the ships that you have built here in Wisconsin including the LCS and the ships that you're building for our partners in Saudi Arabia and now the Constellation class frigate. I also want to welcome the leaders from the great state of Michigan as well too I hope I don't get in trouble who are here with us this morning the adjutant general of Michigan major general Rogers the CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation Mr. Miser and the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Ms. Corbin. Michigan and Wisconsin share more than a border they share a workforce as we think regionally about how to grow a shipbuilding talent pipeline I look forward to working with the leaders of both states to find innovative ways in developing the shipbuilding workforce and the resilient supply chains that will provide the critical support to our fleet in the decades to come. Admiral Francketti again thank you for joining us this morning for your leadership of our Navy and for sharing your insights into the pivotal role that the USS Constellation will play in America's warfighting Navy throughout her time in service I couldn't have said it better myself and I also want to recognize Secretary Braithwaite wife Melissa again who is the ship sponsor of the USS Constellation a ship sponsor is an important role in our naval heritage and I have no doubt that you will do an incredible job serving as the bond between the ship her crew and the nation they serve for many many many years. Finally to our industry partners again led by Frank and Terry, Marco, Dadio and the entire leadership of this shipyard. Thank you for what you've done already what I know you will continue to do and you have my pledge as the secretary of the Navy that we will work with you tooth and nail to build this ship and deliver it on time and on schedule and I've been as I've told my acquisition workforce not to grow the requirements on the ship any further than necessary I have been promised I did make an ask of Marco and Dadio this morning that the ship will have absolutely the best galley with the best Italian food of any of our ships in the United States Navy and he pledged me that they would deliver that on that promise so the USS Constellation and the Constellation Class Frigates are indeed a critical next step in the modernization of our surface ship inventory increasing the numbers of players on the field as the CNO says available globally for our fleet and our combatant commanders as recent events in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific have shown our ships our submarines sailors and Marines are in high demand by our national decision makers every day nearly a third of our fleet is deployed with another fifth underway conducting training and operations to prepare for deployment and today we have over 30,000 Marines that are deployed overseas also meeting mission our sailors and Marines operate around the globe in austere environments often alongside our international allies and partners deterring adversaries and standing ready to prevail in combat when called upon at the heart of it our people our greatest strength and when I say our people again that doesn't just mean our sailors and Marines and uniforms it includes our department of the Navy civilians who work tirelessly along their uniform counterparts often in the same deployed or forward station environments and the ones that are dedicated to building these great ships it includes the talented scientists the engineers the researchers at our nation's universities and colleges developing the transformational technologies of tomorrow which will have dual use cases to provide our fleet and force with warfighting advantage and here in Wisconsin again it includes our skilled tradesmen and women who have chosen to make shipbuilding their proud profession providing for and maintaining a ready capable and lethal Navy Marine Corps is not just a department of the Navy effort it is indeed an entire whole of country effort which is why our country today needs a national maritime statecraft and when i called for a reimagining of our national approach to maritime statecraft centered around rebuilding our commercial and naval power i highlighted the need for men and women across our country to become more involved in our shipbuilding interest today's ceremony is reflective of that this yard is teeming with activity Americans from all walks of life coming together to build warships is a demonstration of our industrial might and showcasing the talents of the skilled workforce that our nation must expand during this critical period in our world's history it takes a nation to build a navy and the collaboration between industry and our department that is on display at the shipyard symbolizes the teamwork required to do so i am committed to restoring the shipbuilding might our nation once had both commercial and naval and to ensuring that we get our major shipbuilding programs back on track on time and on budget i look forward to working with all of our stakeholders across industry government academia to increase our nation's capacity and capability to build maintain and modernize the fleet our nation requires to confront the challenges of today and it's called upon to always prevail in combat again it's an honor to be with you here this morning as we mark the special milestone and the construction of the future us's constellation may god continue to grace our nation with fair winds and following seas thank you and i look forward to seeing you many more times here in wisconsin as the ship continues to be built and especially at the christianing and then at the commissioning so we can get her out to see where she belongs thank you more cowbell thank you secretary del Toro it is now my honor to introduce our final speaker final speaker melissa braithwaite sponsor of the future uss constellation this is braithwaite is the wife of the honorable kenneth braithwaite who as i mentioned earlier was the secretary of the navy when this ship was given her name sponsoring a navy ship is one of the most hollowed traditions of the united states navy and today marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship between mrs braithwaite the future uss constellation and her future crew ma'am thank you for your continued service to the navy in this unique world and welcome to the fin cantieri family ladies and gentlemen melissa braithwaite hopefully i can read this without thank you without my glasses wow i knew this was going to be an incredible day but i didn't know it was going to be so overwhelming and powerful i am truly honored to be here as the uss constellation sponsor it is absolutely one of the greatest honors of my life i never ever could have dreamed that i would be standing among all of you today sharing this with you you see when i was a young girl one of my earliest memories was growing up in southern jersey waiting for my dad to come home from his two weeks of reserve duty it was the longest two weeks of my life i was daddy's little girl and i still am i could barely contain myself as i would wait for him to walk through the door in his impressive navy blue uniform and i knew that he would be holding one of my favorite things after he returned which was a stuffed animal and a big hug for me um from that day on the navy was always a very important part of my life and then i married my husband ken at the naval academy i almost passed out at that wedding because i didn't realize how long of an aisle that was but it was a beautiful wedding and then following being a navy wife and ken's long service as in the navy but today today i have the honor of truly truly belonging and having the honor of belonging to the navy myself i am so honored i am so honored to be the sponsor of the great uss constellation and i am so grateful to every single one of you every one of you the u.s. united states navy to fincantieri to all of you that make this happen i see all of you back there and i i just wish i could give every single one of you a hug thank you for making all of this possible i want to give a special thank you to dario desti marco galbiotti and mark vandro for hosting the special event for secretary del Toro and admiral franketti for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend and for the exceptional leadership of the navy to the fincantieri and navy ship building team for their hard work skill and craftsmanship and bringing constellation to life and thank you to my husband kenneth break weight the 77th secretary of the navy for without his service i would never be standing here today and thank you to alisha addinson for all of her help and support and organizing today's beautiful event it is my deepest desire and wish and promise for each and every one of you to know that from this day forward i stand firmly by your side and the future cruise side to always and forever be with you my heart soul thoughts and prayers will be with all of you for as long as the u.s constellation ship shall sail may god bless the u.s navy may god bless fincantieri and may god bless all of us and all of our families and loved ones thank you thank you mrs break weight for those wonderful remarks and for being the sponsor of the future uss constellation we will now continue with the authentication of the keel for ffg 62 the keel laying is the formal recognition of the start of the ship's module construction process in earlier times it was the laying down of the central or main timber forming the backbone of the vessel however today construction of ship's modules begins months before they are actually joined however the keel laying still symbolizes the beginning of a new ship today our welder gene Wagner will then sure okay i thought i'd miss something there my apologies our welder gene Wagner will complete the authentication by welding mrs break weights initials into the plate this plate will be permanently affixed to the ship and will sail with the constellation throughout her life for safety purposes i ask everyone to refrain from looking directly at the welding arc if i can now ask mrs break weight and all of our platform guests to please join me at the welding table that the keel of the future uss constellation has been truly and fairly laid for authenticating our keel today thank you gene for the great welding job ladies and gentlemen thank you for joining us today this concludes our ceremony and this important event in the life of the uss constellation have a great day thanks everyone