Jean Paul Gaultier founded his eponymous French fashion brand in 1982, designing couture and ready-to-wear for men and women. In 1993 Jean Paul Gauliter expanded into the realm of fragrance, with some of their scents such as Le Male and Classique gaining iconic status. Garnering masses of attention for his innovative designs, celebrity fans have been numerous over the years. Jean Paul Gaultier designed Madonna’s clothes for her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, and is famed with designing the iconic cone bra corset. In 2015, Gaultier revealed he would no longer be producing ready-to-wear, in order to focus his efforts on haute couture. Then, in January 2020, Gaultier explained that the next Paris haute couture show would conclude his many years designing for the runway.
Although coming to an end, Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs have made an impact to last a lifetime. Their haute couture and runway shows were controversial and dynamic. Jean Paul Gaultier challenged tradition in his theatrical and garments. His inspiration came from the unusual, mixing the subversive with futurism. Fetishes, punks, burlesque- Jean Paul Gaultier found his muses in unexpected places. His models were inclusive and unconventional. He used tattooed men and women, women with curves; he played with gender roles; he used older men with grey hair and beards. His style was revolutionary and distinctive, often formal yet playful. Intertwined with these radical challenges to the high-fashion world was clearly immaculate craftsmanship. In the brand’s ready-to-wear lines, Gaultier himself states he wanted to create clothing for everyone, transcending age and shape and size.
The Jean Paul Gaultier brand continues today in its fragrance entity, owned by Puig. Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance can be bought from their online store, as well as in various department stores. These can be purchased online through Boots, The Perfume Shop and Superdrug.