Jean-Paul Gaultier Overview

Jean-Paul Gaultier is a gleefully outrageous designer, a man who habitually defies or ignores the standard definitions of style and sensibility. He has brought kitsch into the mainstream of Couture, along with fetishism, male cross-dressing, and any number of other wild... [more]

Jean-Paul Gaultier is a gleefully outrageous designer, a man who habitually defies or ignores the standard definitions of style and sensibility. He has brought kitsch into the mainstream of Couture, along with fetishism, male cross-dressing, and any number of other wild and innovative concepts. Gaultier finds his inspiration on the streets. More precisely, he finds it down the alleys, at the underground parties, and in the hallucinogenic factories that produce the fantasy of urban life. He blends these trends with styles from past eras, often using Victorian gowns and French sailor stripes as motifs. While other designers offer censored versions of the times, Gaultier presents an NC-17 variation on reality. In the mid-1980s, Gaultier rekindled public interest in designer Couture with his inspired men's collections. In 1985, he shocked the world with his red-lace and leather collection. The women wore red lace and black leather chaps -- complete with cut-outs for the buttocks. The men sported platform shoes, feathers, and naked chests. Since then, the designer has introduced space helmets, metal breastplates, men's skirts, and the notorious cone bra made famous by the pop singer Madonna. The designer with the short-cropped blond hair and the sailor-striped shirts has earned a spot on the fashion world's Mount Olympus. Although he is not known for his practicality, utility, or affordability, the world can always count on him to provide some of the most surreal, fantastic concepts ever seen in fashion's history. [show less]