jean paul gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

jean paul gaultier was the creative director of hermès from 2003 to 2010. gaultier never received formal training as a designer. instead, he started sending sketches to famous couture stylists at an early age. pierre cardin was impressed by his talent and hired him as an assistant in 1970. afterwards he worked with jacques esterel in 1971 and jean patou later that year, then returning to manage the pierre cardin boutique in Manila for a year in 1974. 

his first individual collection was released in 1976 and his characteristic irreverent style dates from 1981 and he has long been known as the enfant terrible of french fashion. 

collection inspired by Amy Winehouse

many of gaultier's following collections have been based on street wear, focusing on popular culture, whereas others, particularly his haute couture collections, are very formal yet at the same time unusual and playful.

Fall 2009 Couture

although most people found his designs decadent at the time, fashion editors, notably melka tréanton of elle, claude brouet and catherine lardeur of french marie claire, were seduced by his creativity and immediately noticed his mastery of tailoring and later launched his career. in 1985 he introduced man-skirts, and produced sculptured costumes for madonna during the nineties, starting with her infamous cone bra for her 1990 blond ambition tour and designed the wardrobe for her 2006 confessions tour. he currently designs for three collections: his own couture and ready-to-wear lines, for both men and women.

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier

Katy Perry

what brought gaultier immense success was the advent of his haute couture line in 1997. through this collection, he was able to freely express the scope and range of his aesthetic, drawing inspiration from radically divergent cultures, from imperial india to hasidic judaism. 

here's a look at some of gaultier's couture collections.

fash'on... BAM!