Written by: Pepa López de Arenosa
The eternal enfant terrible of the fashion world makes a 180º twist after his arrival at Puig and introduces his most grown up and sexy collection. All amongst Grace Jones music and cigarrette smoke.
Jean Paul Gaultier introduced yesterday in the french capital his new couture collection for spring 2017. After entering the spanish fashion and fragrance group Puig, the maison reinvents its shapes and concepts. The designers’ imagery has been up to his standards, offering a show worthy of Paris’ Haute Couture Fashion Week.
The eighties’ rock inspiration becomes obvious in the collection, with earcuffs, leather and lots of sheerness. All of this comes with the shy notes of an asian vibe, maintaining what he introduced in his last runway show. This was, Jean Paul Gaultier gets further away from his characteristic Britain and his love for nautical and navy elements to turn his designs around. The outcome is pure Haute Couture while maintaining a subtle Gaultier identity.
His collection is an ode to parisian nightlife, with dramatic and theatrical stating. The models haven run through the runway as decadent divas from a past long gone, chatting with each other inbetween cigarettes. Champagne glasses, net stockings and the maison’s characteristic corsés with a futuristic touch where the stars of the catwalk.
A show filled with black and gold items that shine because of their flawless tailoring and the elegance of their shapes. The designer’s taste for masculine cuts and tailored suits has also had its spot on the runway, bringing back the pijama style Marc Jacobs already put on the spotlight.
If there’s one thing that’s clear, it seems as if the brand has greatly suited its entrance in the spanish group Puig. Since then, Jean Paul Gaultier stopped doing prêt-à-porter to focus on Haute Couture, and you can easily see the results. If by the end of 2014 it seemed as if the designer’s light was fading, it now shines brightly as the master of exhuberant creativity. The fashion world’s enfant terrible has still a lot to say, let’s let him talk.