Jean Paul Gaultier has never been interested in behaving like a traditional fashion house. Since 1976, the Parisian label has challenged the rules of dress through a provocative mix of tailoring, lingerie, street culture, historical references and pop imagery — turning convention into something to be played with. The house’s signatures are instantly recognisable: corsetry, sailor stripes, tattoo motifs, exposed skin, exaggerated silhouettes and a constant collision of masculine and feminine codes. Yet beneath the provocation is an extraordinary respect for craftsmanship, from the precision of its tailoring to the elaborate techniques of its couture ateliers. Gaultier’s enduring appeal lies in that contradiction. The clothes can be seductive, irreverent, theatrical or deliberately subversive, often all at once. More than a particular aesthetic, Jean Paul Gaultier represents a way of thinking about fashion — fearless, inclusive and gloriously unwilling to stay within the lines.
