The master of outrageous and provocative Jean-Paul Gaultier retired: What was the last Parisian fashion show

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

On January 22, 2020, the world of haute couture solemnly and on a grand scale conducted the retirement of Jean-Paul Gaultier. This designer has been working on the creation of haute couture clothes for no less than half a century - from the age of eighteen, when he got his first job with Pierre Cardin. Does this mean that Gaultier will go on a well-deserved rest and give up provocations and shocking? Fortunately, no.

From fashion history: designer Jean-Paul Gaultier

"Enfant Terribl" of world fashion was born on April 24, 1952, he spent his childhood and adolescence in the suburbs of Paris. Then, in an interview, he will tell how he loved to delve into things with his grandmother and once found something amazing - a corset; will tell you that adults did not scold him for his interest in clothes and underwear, and will also tell how he made his first bra in the form of a cardboard cone for a teddy bear. For some reason, the adults did not dare to give the boy a doll as he asked.

Fashion has fascinated Jean-Paul since childhood, and he received his first job in this industry without having any special education. It was just that one day I created a collection of costume sketches and began to randomly send it to different fashion houses. The majority ignored the newcomer's initiative, Saint Laurent sent a polite refusal, but Pierre Cardin's fashion house received an invitation to have an interview. And at the age of eighteen, Jean-Paul began his career in the fashion industry.

Six years later, he already released his first collection, and continuing to work on creating his own style, by the eighties he was already known as a fashion designer who has something to say, or rather, something to show. Outrageousness from Gaultier was not an end in itself, through the images of future models appearing in his head, Jean-Paul seemed to communicate with the world, thus broadcasting his beliefs and views. Fashion by the end of the 20th century was no longer just a way to dress beautifully. Gaultier, for example, was opposed to the objectification of women - and therefore in 1985 he released a collection of men's suits with skirts: and no, it was not about Scottish kilts.

The idea received a new development later, when at the 2003 show, the fashion models literally became "hangers" for clothes - the costumes were attached to the girls demonstrating them in a peculiar way.

And the famous pointed bras, which made Madonna famous and her world tour of 1990, for the first time since the story of the teddy bear appeared on the catwalk in the fall-winter 1984 collection. And, of course, in the work of Gaultier, much attention has always been paid to corsets.

More than just clothes

Gaultier in the history of fashion is not just a creator of clothing. Besson's "Fifth Element" influenced the audience, including through the images created by Jean-Paul, the images of the Eurovision winners Dana International and Conchita Wurst - the work of the French designer, as well as the costumes of Marilyn Manson and other stars.

The last show of the master took place on January 22 - the end of the Paris Haute Couture Week. The maitre announced his retirement just a few days earlier in social networks: the upcoming show was supposed to be something like a time travel - through all fifty years of Gaultier's creativity. The show was held under the motto "Fashion for Life" and turned out to be really unforgettable, as the designer wanted.

For forty-five minutes, a symbolic funeral of fashion was depicted on the podium stage, and then its rebirth. The sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, Coco Rocha, Karlie Kloss, Irina Shayk, Yasmin Le Bon, Karen Elson appeared in front of the audience. The show was adorned, among other guests, by the appearance of Mylene Farmer, for whom Gaultier created costumes in 2009, 2013 and 2019 - for the singer's concert tours, and also a performance by Dita von Teese and the English pop singer Boy George.

Gaultier planned to arrange a "cool party", and so it happened - after the end of the show, a disco began, which lasted until the morning.

On retire?

In the 21st century, you won't surprise anyone with provocations, now they bear a new name - HYIP. At the time when Gaultier began to create, it was different - few dared to go beyond the usual and permissible. Jean-Paul in this sense was true to himself and was guided only by his own convictions.

Legend has it that he asked for Madonna's hand three times - and was refused three times - in this way the master expressed admiration for the singer's creativity and personality, thus she paid tribute to him. something new,”Gauthier says of his latest haute couture show. It is not yet known what it will be. In any case, the winter of 2020 is marked on his calendar with a visit to Russia: on January 31, his Fashion Freak show took place in St. Petersburg, and in early February it will also be shown in Moscow.

About famous dresses from movies: here.