It’s been a long time coming, but I can finally introduce Christopher who has been my go-to for identifying Junior Gaultier apparel and accessories. Whether I have an inkling as to which collection an item belongs to and want to confirm it, or more often than not I’m clueless, browsing Christopher’s Instagram archives leads me in the right direction.
He uses his expert research abilities to unveil the real complexities of this nearly-forgotten clothing label, reminding us of its significance in fashion history. Mixing his personality into the narration alongside the photographs of the 80s and 90s, his passion lifts the visuals off the screen and reinvigorates them with the same awe they would have gained thirty years ago.
You came upon the Junior Gaultier brand when researching Alicia Silverstone’s yellow plaid suit from the film Clueless. What is your favourite Gaultier piece to appear on the big screen?
My favorite piece to appear on the big screen is indeed the F/W 1994-95 yellow plaid kilt suit from Clueless. This suit is a combination of influences. The prominent shoulder pads evoke the 1980s, although they’re not as severe as the popular tartan hourglass skirt suit that Gaultier released as part of his F/W 1987 collection “Forbidden Gaultier.” It’s worth saying that the F/W 1994-95 Junior Gaultier collection was the final one, so Gaultier likely wanted to reinterpret one of his own greatest hits, except with a grunge twist. That grunge twist is the kilt and grommets that hold a chain and large safety pin, which itself also paid homage to London punk subculture. Also, I like the fact that Alicia Silverstone wore a F/W 1994-95 angora wool cardigan in Clueless with the yellow plaid suit, but it initially appeared oddly styled on a model in Gaultier’s F/W 1994-95 runway show “The Great Journey.” Gaultier styled it by fastening only the cardigan’s bottom button so that the cardigan became a one-shouldered piece where one side hung down. The fact that the same cardigan could look completely different based on the styling blew my mind!
[Much of the internet, including Vogue, still attributes Dolce & Gabbana as the creator of Cher’s yellow plaid suit.]
Please tell me about your creative process. What inspires you to investigate a particular item and share your findings in an Instagram post?
The beginning of a post starts with a photo that catches my eye. I can’t stand when I don’t know information about a photo: the 5 Ws—Who, What, When, Where, Why/How. Gathering the information about a photo is like putting the pieces together of a puzzle. For example, there’s a photo of model Kristen McMenamy from the October 1993 Marie Claire France scowling at the camera and wearing dark lipstick, and a short bob. She’s seated posed like a mobster or a gangsta rapper. The first order of business was to translate the fashion captions written in French; fashion captions are important because they reveal the topography of the outfit telling me which pieces are Junior. In the photo, Kristen was wearing a long coat, plaid shirt dress, high-neck sweater, shorts jumpsuit, and a scarf from the F/W 1993-94 Junior Gaultier collection. In fact, a model wore this same outfit in Jean Paul Gaultier’s F/W 1993-94 womenswear show “Chic Rabbis”, except with a big trapper hat.
By posting photos of these Junior pieces from various angles—differing in time and place: fashion editorial, runway show, and fashion resale website – I’m giving them a more panoramic view. Minus the trapper hat, worn by the model in Gaultier’s F/W 1993-94 runway show, Kristen looks like a chic woman walking the streets of Paris or New York City dressed for cold weather. All this information I gathered about the photo is something I’m excited to share with others. I enjoy using the posts to educate and initiate a conversation where people also educate me.
Which item from the Junior Gaultier label is your “holy grail”?
For me, the paint splatter blazer from the F/W 1990-91 collection “Les Pieds Nickeles” is the “holy grail” item. I like the fact that Gaultier lined these blazers with the “Dr. Mabuse” X-ray print from S/S 1990. The decision to use this print for the lining is ironic because in the previous season (S/S 1990), the X-ray print was front and center on T-shirts and see-through PVC raincoats. In fact, one of the themes of the S/S 1990 Gaultier collections (Junior and main line) was transparency where it was a bit kinky and voyeuristic. However, the theme of Gaultier’s F/W 1990-91 collections was digging deep to find the hidden beauty, hence a person must use their hands to unfasten the blazer if they want to see the X-ray print. Additionally, the other thing I like about the blazer is the way Gaultier uses print and pattern to convey his brand’s core message: mixing unexpected things. In the case of the blazer, the paint splatter print — many people remark that the print resembles Jackson Pollock’s “action” paintings — lays atop a pinstripe pattern that began when bankers wore pinstripe suits — “banker’s stripes” — in the early 20th century. The banking world is one that’s associated with capitalism. So, what Gaultier did was take something capitalistic and mix the artsy art world (which of course has grown to be very capitalistic). In fact, the paint looks like someone threw paint onto the banker’s pinstripe blazer; there’s beauty in the mess! Also, since the paint splatter print is in white, it resembles snow which evokes winter. Indeed, this blazer comes from a Fall/Winter collection.
Videos of fashion shows are an excellent resource for identifying vintage Gaultier pieces; they are works of beauty in their own right. My favourite is the joint women’s and men’s shows for the “Photography Maniacs” and “Europe of the Future” collections from F/W 1992-93. What is your favourite show, and why?
My favorite Gaultier show is the F/W 1993-94 womenswear show “Chic Rabbis” because of the way Gaultier peppered it with funny vignettes while presenting luxurious clothing — delicious overcoats and jackets in various shades of gray and black. Sometimes the models interacted with each other, and it felt very natural. For instance, one female model Eugenie Vincent dropped a scarf, and a male model Adrian Alicea picked it up and returned it to her. Similarly, later in the show, Eugenie Vincent struggled to unbutton her collar and fellow model Claudia Huidobro assisted her. Both vignettes appeared to exist in the bigger frame of people walking down the street. Suddenly the fashion show’s attendees were no longer only observing clothes but people-watching. The most thrilling example of these vignettes was toward the show’s conclusion in the form of Gaultier’s good friends and muses Kristen McMenamy and Tanel Bedrossiantz. The nose-ringed McMenamy removed her overcoat to reveal a metallic fringe dress as she walked down the runway and appeared to walk away until she suddenly doubled back to do an encore. Following her was Tanel, who doubled back in a similar way, but he proceeded to perform a flurry of turns where he struck a pose at each turn and made sure people saw him from every angle. Then he sashayed away with a smile, his long-curled sidelocks bouncing with every step.
Jean Paul Gaultier’s collaborations with Y/Project, KNWLS, and Sacai have brought a complete archive back to life. What are your feelings about them, particularly the ready-to-wear collections?
I’m not impressed with the designers’ interpretations of Gaultier’s archive. Out of the five “interpretation” collections thus far (roughly 150 looks), I only liked 14 of them aka 9%. However, the looks I enjoyed were either easy-to-put-on or attractively incorporated Gaultier’s corset look. The easy-to-put-on pieces were both designed by Sacai’s Chitose Abe — the cream cable cap-sleeve dress and the sailor sweater minidress done up in an ethereal tulle — all the better that the model wearing this tulle dress was wearing a platinum blond flattop that Gaultier used to wear back in the day. As for the other ones I liked, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing designed them. The ones he designed incorporated the cone bra and the corset — a broad-shouldered catsuit with cone bra and contrast stitching creating the corset line. Also, there was a black blazer and cycling shorts both trimmed in shiny brass which formed the line of a bustier on the blazer.
Some of the ready-to-wear collaborations are extremely similar to the originals from the 90s and 2000s; do you believe these “re-editions” are a cop-out?
I think the “collaborations” are a cop-out; there’s no need for them. Then again, the collaborations keep Gaultier’s name out there. And yes, those carbon copy pieces bothered me. My first thought: What’s the point? Especially, since the original versions were a thousand times better.
Which label would you consider a more affordable, adventurous, and enjoyable alternative to Junior Gaultier for today’s younger market?
The brand ERL. The brand’s name is an acronym of the designer’s name: Eli Russell Linetz. The brand is not a diffusion line, but T-shirts run for $70-$200 and some sweaters for $300. In fact, Junior Gaultier’s prices weren’t cheap, but they were more affordable than the main line; Junior had a range of prices depending on the garment. ERL uses beautiful photography to present the clothes in a lookbook in which Linetz styles the clothes in an often-sexy way. For instance, he presents surfers and skater-looking dudes in crop tops that show bare midriffs. Gaultier did the same thing with the way he styled Junior on men and women: showing skin as if it happened by accident. For instance, someone reaches for something above and a sliver of bare belly shows or the small of someone’s back.
Jean Paul comes across as one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. If you had five minutes to ask him anything, what would it be?
I would ask Gaultier two questions. The first question: How did you come about putting your boyfriend Francis Menuge’s father in many of the Junior Gaultier advertisements? (The older man with the salt-and-pepper beard and swept-back hair.) The second question: What is your favorite Junior Gaultier piece and why?
Your Instagram page showcases your research skills, attention to detail, and excellent writing style. Have you ever considered adopting a different media to promote your work?
I think using other media would add a lot to my Junior Gaultier Instagram account. For instance, video would bring the pieces to life, but that would take some editing. I’m sure there are other ways as well to enhance the page, but I don’t know of them. I’ve always wanted to engage more people with the account.
So if you’ve read this post and found it interesting, you need to head over to Christopher’s Instagram account for regular snippets of 80s and 90s style and Gaultier fashion history.
I’m very grateful to Christopher for taking the time to share his knowledge with me and to stay up to date with his Junior Gaultier research, please check out his Instagram page Gaultier Junior High.