Q. I’m not familiar with your professional background; have you ever worked in fashion?
For about 15 years, I did store and visual fashion design for Magnin and Macy’s. When I was 20, I was with a modelling agency and was sent to Munich to an agency that had just opened there called Luisa. I stayed for about a year and went on a couple of “go-sees“ and then ended up meeting very nice people who would invite me out to parties and events all the time. It was very nice being that age and getting to do all these things, and no one ever tried to take advantage of me. I had a friend who was going to the University of Maryland in Munich, and I lived in the student dormitories with him (and everyone just assumed I was a student. I was over six feet tall and only weighed 129 pounds, which wasn’t the look back then. I didn’t get to model at any real shows until I was 26. The first was Versace.

Q. What’s the first piece of Gautier you remember buying? And when was it?
The first purchase was two things, fall 1985, an embroidered and beaded black bolero jacket that I’d seen a few celebrities wearing, and a purple sweater with woven black trim and designs flocked on in black velvet. I still have them both, oh, and there was a coat from the same season in black with quilted lapels and applied black ribbon.

Q. What is special about Gaultier to you? And is there one particular item that you feel epitomises Gaultier’s style?
Gaultier made me feel that was the way I should look; I never felt like it wore me. One of the nicest compliments I remember back then was a guy who worked in a store in San Francisco who said, “I like the way you wear your Gaultier, it’s so relaxed”. I loved the colors that Gaultier chose as well.

Q. You have quite literally got a treasure chest of jewellery, belts and even codpieces from the “Les Rock Stars” collection of Fall/Winter 1987. How often do you get to wear them?
I wear the belts almost every day. I’m lucky to have a few friends who like to go out to galleries and restaurants that will dress, so it’s nice to wear the things then. When it was all new, it was a bit more fun as so many people tried to be individual.

Q. Which of the many rock stars who have worn Gaultier over the years wears it the best? Pete Burns could be my favourite, as he has worn items from the Rock Stars and Western Baroque collections.
I think Sade used to look beautiful in Gaultier. In the music video for “Is it a Crime?” she wore a jacket from Gaultier’s ‘Le Charme Coincé de la Bourgeoisie Fall/Winter 1985 collection and a top from the same collection whilst performing “Is it a Crime?” live at the 11th season of SNL.

The lead singer, Martin Fry, and guitarist Mark White from ABC in the video for “The Night You Murdered Love” looked great in “The Rock Stars“ collection. Jim Kerr, the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, wore some great pieces. And Pete Burns in “Save You all My Kisses” is great, I have that whole outfit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dra8WN-JCIE

Q. Gaultier’s next collection, “Modern Retros” of Spring/Summer 1988, introduced the Junior Gaultier label, which featured a cropped leather jacket favoured by the rockstars of the time, including Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) and David Gahan (Depeche Mode). Was the Junior line ever on your radar, and if so, are there any standout pieces from the label?
The first Junior item I ever got was a black denim jacket with a fishnet back. I used to have a couple of great t-shirts that had these rubber emblems on the chest, but they eventually crumbled off. I had a rubber belt with big coins that had stars in the center, and a pair of suspenders. I bought both the black and the white long-sleeved X-ray print T-shirts and still have them. They were $80 back then.

Q. Talking of codpieces, Gaultier was quoted as saying ‘Except for the medieval codpiece and the bra, garments have never had a gender”. I loved the “gender benders” of the 80s, such as Boy George, Prince, and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, who wore bras. With more people becoming aware of gender diversity, do you think that dressing androgynously is more accessible now, and can you envisage a world where genderless clothing is the norm?
I think certain things are genderless depending on how they’re worn. That’s what I loved about Gaultier’s men’s skirt trousers and men’s skirts. To me, they never looked like drag. I think it’s interesting how you see more people now dressing in things that are not common. It’s nice that people can choose to be what they want to be; it’s so much better now. Everyone needs to realize that how other people choose to look and dress does not affect them.

Q. Do you think Gaultier’s collections from the ‘80s are still relevant and wearable today? (The jacket Souvenirs de Vacances with sunglasses attached to the arms wouldn’t have been wearable back in the day!)
I think most of the ‘80s pieces are wearable now, especially since it’s coming around again for people to seek out vintage. It’s really much more individual and rarer now to own those things, especially if they are in good shape. I like to say that back then, there were people who saved all their money and then really wore those things to death, and people with money who just wore them a few times. I’ve taken such good care of mine. So many things he did were not dry cleanable; if you did, they disintegrated, or if cleaned improperly, were just ruined.

But I think the leather jacket with the sunglasses was wearable, the pants with them down the back weren’t!
I went to 1992’s amFAR (The American Foundation for AIDS Research) show in Los Angeles and all the stars modelled Gaultier, including Billy Idol, who had that whole sunglasses outfit on. I still have the pass, invite, and the T-shirt that I was given at the event.

Q. Jean Paul Gaultier no longer uses rotating designers for ready-to-wear, but obviously thought that some collections were still relevant, due to the collaborations with Y/Project, KNWLS, and Sacia. What are your feelings on bringing complete archives back to life, especially when some of the ready-to-wear collections were exact copies of the originals?
I really wish he would do some exact copies of some old things. Some of the T-shirts from ‘87 and ‘88 are amazing. So many things he did back then would be cost-prohibitive now or just be too expensive for most people.

Q. Jean Paul Gaultier has recently dropped the Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear “Junior” collection. It’s Duran Lantink’s debut collection in a permanent position for Jean Paul Gaultier, and I wondered what you thought of it.
I thought the recent show was mostly a disaster! With such archives to mine, there could’ve been so many things to update and present. However, I did like two or three things: the tribal print done on sheer fabric that had a 3-dimensional feeling to part of it, the sheer body suit with tattoos, and the large belt buckle. I’d probably buy the men’s nude body suit just to have it, if it wasn’t too high a price. I just wish it wasn’t such a hairy print!

Q. Would you ever wear a pair of Gaultier Crocs?
I was kind of interested in the Crocs collaboration until I saw them. I thought if anyone could make them interesting, he could. I was wrong!

Q. Do you think the Jean Paul Gaultier fashion house continues to influence fashion today?
I do think that it influences fashion today. It’s interesting how a new collection sells out, especially since it’s so expensive.

The post Reminiscing on amazing 1980s Gaultier with a Rock Star collector first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Gaultier’s Fashnost

Such was the prevalence of major fashion design houses in the mid-80s creating collections that incorporated Soviet themes and aesthetics, scholars at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) coined the term “Fashnost”. The term is a combination of the words “fashion” and “glasnost”, which refers to the impact of social and political changes in the Soviet Union on fashion collections.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Autumn-Winter 1986 collection is a significant example of ‘fashnost’, as it used Constructivist themes including Cyrillic lettering, block type, geometric shapes, and photomontage to reflect on the Soviet era’s sociopolitical climate.

Gaultier’s Russian Constructivist collection is a favourite of mine, for its bold graphical style. that draws inspiration from the visual language of the early 20th-century Russian Constructivist art movement. At a guess, anyone with a basic knowledge of Gaultier will be aware of this collection, along with 1993’s “Chic Rabbis” or 1996’s “Cyberbaba” collections.

The collection is highly sought after by vintage collectors, as its innovative mix of fashion and modern art marked a significant period in Gaultier’s career, showcasing his talent in blending avant-garde fashion design with political and cultural commentary. Once seen, the bright colour blocks, Russian text, and graphic-heavy designs will stay in your mind forever, despite much of the collection being in black. I love the T-shirt designs from the collection, which were a result of the collaboration with the brand Equator, and how the photomontage and graphics capture the original spirit of Constructivism.

The design below features an image of Artist Alexander Rodchenko’s 1924 Portrait of Russian Avant-Garde Writer Osip Brik, with the letters “LEF” prominently displayed on Brik’s glasses, which refers to the Left Front of the Arts. This avant-garde group advocated for the integration of art into everyday life and the creation of socially useful art.

Social commentary in the Constructivism movement

Constructivism was a particularly austere branch of abstract art formed by Vladimir Tatlin in Russia around 1914, and according to the movement’s manifesto, “Constructivism is a purely technical mastery and organisation of materials.” Constructivists believed that art shouldn’t be produced for the art’s sake, but as a practice for social purposes.

As the Russian Revolution marked the beginning of communism, one of the founders of constructivism, painter and graphic designer Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko, used his diverse skills to produce the iconic works of the movement. Teaming his graphic design skills with photomontages of his documentary style of photography, he used the resulting imagery as a tool for social commentary.

One of the most famous pieces of constructivist art is the 1924 poster “Books! Across All Branches of Knowledge” by Alexander Rodchenko. It was commissioned by LENGIZ, a state publishing house in Leningrad, to promote literacy and education to the public by encouraging them to read literature in various fields of knowledge.

Inspiration for the Russian Constructivist collection

In a video on the Fashion Mood Board website, Jean Paul reminisces on the Russian Constructivist show and the genesis of the collection.

“One of my assistants who used to do the printing for me had found a book on Russian Constructivism. When I saw the book, I was dazzled by the graphics, the posters, the universe it presented, and the colours. The colours were fabulous. My whole range of colours was around that.”

He discusses his use of metal as an accessory on the clothing, using both the Roman numerals LXXXVI representing the number 86 and Cyrillic letters, whose text “ЖАН ПОЛ ГОЛЬТЬЕ” translates to “Jean Paul Gaultier”. The use of Russian text, both as metal appliqué and in print, reinforces Alexander Rodchenko’s mixed-media style.

Suppose you look at the bold leather jackets from the collection or the images of Gaultier’s illustrator, Pauline Binoux. In that case, you’ll appreciate the statement shoulder pads and cinched waist, creating a broad, powerful silhouette. Gaultier attributes Thierry Mugler as the pioneer of the straight, wide shoulder, adding how his take on it was to have the shoulders drop slightly.

“The idea came from the ’50s jackets. Too big. It drops a bit. Me it was in the spirit of the thrift. One takes the clothing which is not at the right size. Women took men’s jackets, and the shoulder would fall off. There’s padding, but it’s not fully supported by the shoulder.”

Not all of the collection was a blaze of colour; more sombre cardigan bodies, zipped crotch bodysuits, and leather one-piece booted trousers had their part to play, especially as they employed new construction techniques.

The collection used an elasticated wool knit technique that had been developed by Anna Maria at Fuzzi SpA, a company founded in 1979 by the Fuzzi-Vitale family, producing knitting outerwear in quality materials like wool, mohair, alpaca, most of the time blended with polyacrylic and viscose. This material could be cut precisely, creating neat hems, and due to the way the material held itself, jackets didn’t require any lining.

One of my favourite items from the collection was constructed in soft neoprene and inspired by a fencer’s clothing. This bodysuit is fastened between the legs, and rather than having the metal cups that protect the breasts hidden inside pockets, Gaultier placed them on the outside as a decoration.

About the top

In this very bright orange with the whole front adorned with silver transfers and faux gems, I would never have guessed it was from the Russian collection. Watch the show and you’ll see a far more sedate black ensemble of the top and matching trousers. Although it could be a bodysuit, as Gaultier reminisces about wearing a bodysuit in the same design for the Cannes Film Festival and being refused entry!

I got this item very cheaply from a resale site, with the seller saying the charity shop they bought it from claimed it used to be Boy George’s.

The quality of this top, considering the fact that it’s made of lycra and has all these gemstones on is amazing. Only two of the square gems were missing, and after laboriously scouring the internet, I got some exact replacements. I also drilled tiny holes in the gems (and my thumb) so that they could be sewn on to match the existing ones, rather than glued on.

When Jean met Tanel

Obviously, the models play an important part in the shows, and one of the things I admire about JPG is the diversity on his catwalk. One such model who walked in the Russian show was Teri Toye, referred to as the first ‘out’ trans model, and the muse of Steven Sprouse, who opened his 1984 show.

The elusive Martin Margiela also makes an appearance in the show, while he was still interning for Gaultier. He’s the model sporting a HUGE metal belt buckle under a leather quilted jacket.

The star of the show has to be Gaultier’s long-term muse Tanel Bedrossiantz, who walked in numerous shows for the designer over several decades. Often camp, but conversely suave and macho, you’ve probably seen the photo of him in a velvet cone-bra dress from Gaultier’s Fall 1984 collection.

During the video, Tanel Bedrossiantz is referred to, with Jean Paul recounting the first time he met Tanel when he came into the Gaultier shop to do some shopping. JP loved his look, and his haircut and thought he was cute “in a way that I saw Farida or Edwige, it was love at first sight” it was perfect timing because he would be perfect in my fashion shows. “People I felt attracted to, by their walk, by their look, I would fall in love with them and would make them walk.”

In a Vogue article by Laird Borrelli-Persson, Tanel recounts his side of the story, which started with him visiting the Gaultier store in June 1985 to pick up a sample for Babeth Djian (the founder and editorial director of Numéro magazine), who at the time was employing him at Jill magazine.

“I had been there twice before, for the same reason. The third time was the charm; Gaultier saw me and I caught his eye. By the time I got back to Babeth with my packages, he had called her to say he wanted me for the men’s show (Joli Monsieur, 1985) and his advertising campaign.”

Gaultier and the Word Up album

If you take a look at the cover of American funk group Cameo’s Word Up album released in 1986, you’ll see artfully blurry examples of Gaultier’s Russian Constructivist collection. On the credits of the record, Gaultier is credited as providing the clothing and graphic artist and costume designer Toyce Anderson is credited as the stylist.

In a Video wishing Gaultier a happy birthday, Cameo singer Larry Blackmon credits Gaultier as having a lot to do with the band’s style and things that they did on the Word Up album. Blackmon remembers how Toyce Anderson went to Bloomingdale’s department store to select items from the collection to see if the band was interested in wearing them, and of course, they were.

The band ran into Jean Paul in London in September 1987, whilst they were playing at Wembley Arena, and Gaultier invited them to his show in Paris. Cameo’s Paris tour venue, Le Zénith, was across the street from the show, so the band went there to see his show, then invited JPG back to their after-show. A couple of days later, Gaultier invited the group to his showroom and gave them a part of the collection that the models had worn.

The skirt above is from the Russian Constructivist collection, released through the Public Gaultier line and the text on the skirt, ПУБЛИКА ГОЛЬТЬЕ, translates to Public Gaultier.

The post Inspiration From a Revolution: The Russian Constructivist Collection Fall/Winter 1986-87  first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Gaultier is an electronic star with his high-tech collection

One of the most unique accessories I’ve ever seen is the flashing sheriff badge from “Western Baroque”, which, after some investigation, may have been conceived in 1979.

In an article for February 1984’s The Face magazine, Jean Paul Gaultier photographed and described six of his most striking creations, including a high-tech suit from 1979 consisting of a three-quarter-length leatherette jerkin with embroidered electrical circuit boards. Gaultier explained the piece’s conception “We had the idea for the circuit drawings for a long while. My friend and partner Francis Menuge is mad about electronics; he designed a pendant necklace that flashed in time with the wearer’s heartbeat. But we were never able to persuade a manufacturer to market them, so we used them for our ‘High Tech’ collection. I always work like that, taking materials or objects and finding another use for them.”

Part of the same collection, and now iconic, are the tin can bracelets. The story of their creation starts with Jean Paul opening a tin of food for his cat and wondering what use the empty tins could have. He opened the other end of the can and there was a bracelet!

“It was the same with the ashtray bag.” Explained Gaultier, “Take an ordinary ashtray, deepen it with a sleeve of leather, and you’ve got a bag! I have a lot of fun with this modernist approach. Appropriating objects for my own uses.”

Gaultier’s Autumn/Winter 1995-96 collection would pick up on the circuit board theme in a homage to Mad Max.

Alyssa Milano

Stars wearing Gaultier

A very young Alyssa Milano in 1989 wears a cropped western shirt, leopard print skirt, belt and earrings, all from the Junior Gaultier Spring/Summer collection of that year.

Promoting the collection

A magazine advert promoting the “Western Baroque” and ‘Voyage Autour Du Monde Dans 168 Tenues’ collections. If you are interested in the Jean Paul Gaultier adverts of the 80s and 90s, check out this article on the graphic designers behind the Gaultier label.

Western charms

As well as the star, symbolic of a sheriff badge, a strong motif of this season’s collections is the dollar sign used in multicolour prints for shirts, and also buttons and clasps for braces and bra tops. This belt (highly positioned on my wishlist) throws Western symbols of horseshoes and six-shooter pistols into the mix to create another novel item of Junior Gaultier accessorisation.

The designers who have plundered the rich, inspiring Western theme over the years are endless. Ralph Lauren’s Fall 1978 (conservative fringes and big belt buckles), Claude Montana’s Fall 1984 (iconic big-shouldered silhouettes and even bigger collars, in leather with a futuristic aesthetic), and Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis’s Spring 1992 (ruffles, neckerchiefs and stetsons).

The Western concept would be revisited for Gaultier’s Spring 2009 Menswear collection, which was influenced by vintage Western films, with fitted vests and pocket watch chains with cowboy hats and bandit bandannas around the models’ necks.

The post Flash Your Sheriff Badge at the Cowboys in Gaultier’s “Western Baroque” S/S 1989 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Gaultier’s work in the late 80s and early 90s, the lifetime of the Junior Gaultier label, was marked by a readiness to push boundaries and to explore themes of sexuality, gender, and religion in ways that many considered shocking.

The Pious Rap

Four years before the controversial “Chic Rabbis” collection, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 1990 collection provocatively mixed religious imagery with fetishistic elements and featured nuns’ habits paired with garters and harnesses. 
In 1989, the Grande Halle de la Villette, also known as the Halle aux Boeufs, which once served as Paris’ cattle market, was transformed into a cathedral for the collection that will remain one of Gaultier’s most symbolic. 

The show opened with “Organ Donor” by DJ Shadow, with church bells, plumes of incense, and Gregorian chants creating a dramatic atmosphere. Praying models rise into view on rotating platforms, wearing nuns’ wimples and beautifully tailored pinstripe jackets. Musical artist Neneh Cherry introduces the collection’s sportier element, flamboyantly rising to the runway in an orange hooded chevron jumpsuit and green tights. Nuns don sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sight of men’s bulging underwear. By now, the nuns have gone feral and are smoking cigarettes, which is a terrible habit!

There is a lot of Junior Gaultier in this show, and if you’ve ever seen tops and cycling shorts with a circular cutout and the word “short” emblazoned on them, this is the collection they come from. 

The finale showcased vibrant satin, cage jackets, and harnessed outfits, which completed Gaultier’s distinctive fusion of high fashion and subversion. 

Gaultier’s Art Deco jewellery

Although it’s hard to see in the darkness of the show, there are a large number of Art Deco-style items of jewellery in the collection, from bracelets to massive dangling clip-on earrings. All of the variations are in a silver tone metal, and adorned with enamel, bearing inscriptions such as “Wonder”, “Diamant”, “Argent” and “Massif”. In the bottom section of the earrings, below, you can just about make out “ETE 90”, solidifying their place in the collection.

When religious art and fashion collide – Jean Paul Gaultier couture Spring/Summer 2007

For S/S 2007, Gaultier reinterpreted Catholic iconography from its roots in religious art, reimagining the halos of saints in perspex and metal, nun-like wimples morphing into the back of dresses, stained glass depictions of baby Jesus, sumptuous silks and satins, translucent fabric, and burning hearts imprinted into metal plates.

Models sporting faux tears in makeup and crystals mirror those from ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’, a popular theme in Catholic religious art in which the Virgin Mary is portrayed sorrowful and in tears, with either one or seven swords piercing her heart. A striking grey dress in the collection is divided by a blood-red organza section emanating from an appliqué heart and sword.

Despite the provocative elements of the collection, I sense Gaultier’s reverence and appreciation for the beauty of religious art in his designs. Sarah Mower’s Vogue review almost agrees, “… the tone, if not precisely reverential, wasn’t calculated to mock. Instead, his ingenious skews on church iconography seemed gently appreciative of its capacity for shining beauty.”

Watch a video of the show here to truly appreciate its sense of drama and grandeur.

Richard Lindner’s fetishistic cubist influence

Richard Lindner was a German artist who moved to America in 1941 to escape the Nazis, befriending other German displaced settlers, such as Albert Einstein and Marlene Dietrich. Linder was a successful illustrator for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, only taking up painting in his 50s. His style draws inspiration from cubism and pop art, resulting in abstract portraiture, often inspired by his experiences of the vulgar, fetishistic aspects of life in New York.

I have to say, I’m not a massive fan of Richard Linder, but after a bit of poking around, I can see some paintings of his that look like they could have influenced the “Les Rap’Pieuses” collection.

Corsage, from 1971, is a stylised, abstract painting of a female torso wearing a corset rendered in bright and saturated colours, including blues, yellows, reds, and greens. A long, vertical zipper runs down the centre of the torso, and the image could be seen as a blueprint for Gaultier’s 1990 collection. Incidentally, Lindner’s mother owned a custom-fitting corset business.

Another interesting painting is Girl with Hoop, which has geometric colour blocks with a single exposed breast, reminiscent of items from the collection, as well as the Junior Gaultier magazine adverts of the season.

Boutique Junior Gaultier in London’s Carnaby

Squint at the text in the black arrow in the advert below, and you’ll see it is promoting the Boutique Junior Gaultier store at Foubert Place in London’s Carnaby. If you take a look at the Soho Cityscape 1991/92 – The Comprehensive Guide to Soho & Theatreland map, you’ll see where the Boutique Junior Gaultier resided, among other shops of that time, including Zoo, Benetton, The Metropolitan Club, Bankrupt Clothing Company, Supreme, Pan Hogg, and John Richmond.

Interestingly, I have a vintage Junior Gaultier carrier bag that puts the Junior Gaultier store at Newburgh St, Carnaby, 100 yards around the corner! If you didn’t want to leave Knightsbridge for your shopping, Harrods had an in-house boutique called ‘Way In’ which I used to visit in the late 80s, that stocked Junior Gaultier.

The Joker-esque face in the advert below belongs to Claudia Huidobro, former supermodel and muse to Jean Paul Gaultier. The advert, as with many in the 80s and 90s, was designed by Thierry Peres.

Taking inspiration from the iconic Morris columns of Paris

The shape of the posh (and not very cost-effective) carrier bag below is based on the iconic green cast iron advertising columns that are dotted around Paris. They were created in 1868 by Gabriel Morris, an enterprising French printer who specialised in event posters, to discourage flyposting. Knowing the history behind the design makes the bags even more impressive.

An invitation to the first Junior Gaultier store in Paris uses the same artwork as the paper bags, reading ‘Junior Gaultier Invites you to the opening of its first boutique, 7 rue du jour 75001 Paris on Monday, September 5 1988’.

The post Provocative Religion and Fetishism in Gaultier’s “Les Rap’Pieuses” S/S 1990 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 1991 “Adam et Ève” show featured both menswear and womenswear collections with a theme of romantic love.

The show starts very dramatically with birdsong filling the air, and through epilepsy-inducing flashes of dawn, the first models were ‘90s reincarnations of Adam and Eve. Adam wore a fig leaf and sported an ineffective-looking parasol, whilst Eve wore a bra with a serpent entwined around her bosom. Eve soon tempted Adam with a Pink Lady plucked from a cardboard tree of knowledge. Once the lights are up, Deee-lite’s “Power of Love” accompanies a less naked Adam and Eve down the runway, identically dressed in brown leggings, brown t-shirts and similar brown jackets with different silhouettes. Huge untidy wigs are a theme of the show, fluctuating between black dreadlocks and pink Louis XIV hairstyles.

I’m interpreting that the pairs of Adams and Eves are wearing the same outfits, as they had previously been naked, and worked together on creating their first form of clothing – possibly not being aware of the concept of gender and biological sex.

Despite contrasting ensembles popping up here and there, the theme of nearly identical his and hers outfits stays strong throughout the show. I hadn’t realised how much I like brown until now, especially when juxtaposed with the muted tones of fuchsia and cyan.

I was told that the T-shirt I’m wearing above was from the “Adam et Ève” collection, and I couldn’t see the link to be honest until I saw the magazine advert for the collection. Next to billowy white chiffon clouds, two cherubs circle two men who are wearing similar suits in orange and pink, with hair colours that match their suits.

Reggae’s influence on fashion

Bob Marley, the poster boy for reggae music, is partly responsible for its association with the Rasta community, frequently including Rasta teachings and themes in his songs. Of course, Reggae’s influence isn’t limited to music; it has made a significant impact on global fashion and style. The bold and colourful clothing choices, often featuring rasta colours of red, green, and gold, have become synonymous with reggae culture.

With the rasta palette being all around us (including the official flag of Ethiopia), it’s easy to forget that the colours hold symbolic significance for Rastafarians and represent different aspects of their beliefs and identity. Red signifies the blood of those killed for the cause of the black community throughout history. Yellow signifies the vast wealth and riches which belong to the African continent. Green signifies the lushness of the Promised Land of Ethiopia.

Gaultier returned to the rasta influence, this time for couture in spring 2004, with a lot more emphasis on the culture. Hot on his heels, John Galiano followed with the Dior fall 2004 collection, using the Rasta colour swatches and Reggae imagery. In spring 2016, Tommy Hilfiger sent models down the runway in red, green, and gold, and even Christian Louboutin got in on the act with rasta-coloured heels.

Flamboyant choice

A 1990 LA Times article by Mary Rourke gave us her insight into the show:

“Showpieces include a coat for romantic-minded career women, which was navy blue pinstripe to the waist with a burst of navy blue tulle from there to the floor. The clear vinyl matador’s jacket embroidered in gold and jewels was the men’s wear item of flamboyant choice.”

I don’t think there’s any other way to wear a matador jacket out to dinner other than flamboyantly! The jacket, or “chaquetilla”, is the most important part of a bullfighter’s outfit, exquisitely crafted in silk and adorned with sequins, metallic thread, and embroidery.

Gaultier had a challenge trying to improve on the chaquetilla, but he managed it with his tried and tested technique of deconstructivism, floating the luxurious adornments of raised gold embroidery, sequins, green gemstones, and tassels made of golden silk over the form of a transparent plastic jacket. The jacket had an ethereal feel, with the components looking like a circuit board or the human circulatory system – all for the modest price of $10,000.

Gaultier prints from everyday objects

There are two similar prints that I know of from this collection, loosely resembling Hermès prints. One consists of vintage electrical fans, plugs and swirls of electrical cords. The possibly more male-oriented print consists of broken combs, electric shavers, razor blades, toothbrushes, and toothpaste tubes squirting out ribbons of toothpaste. The electrical fan print was featured on a variety of Junior Gaultier items, including dresses, bustiers, and even old-fashioned bloomers.

From the runway show invite to a T-shirt

If you are going to create a stunning invite to Gaultier’s Spring / Summer 1991 runway show, it makes sense to repurpose the artwork for a Junior Gaultier T-shirt.

The post Flamboyant Matadors in Exciting Colours “Adam and Eve: Rastas of Today” S/S 1991 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

The theme of the collection

Gaultier’s mix of wools, silks, velvet textiles, and damask Asian patterns evokes an Oriental journey that is not specific to one culture. According to Gaultier, the concept behind the collection was a magical train that stopped at the smallest of villages where locals would gather to sell their wares.

The bull motif runs through the entire collection and appears on jacquard panels on the sleeves of the jumper I am wearing, as well as on the reverse of the waistcoat below. The front of the waistcoat is pure silk with jacquard ornate writhing mythical beasts, including a dragon similar to those associated with the emperor of China and symbolic of imperial power. Jacquard is a fabric with intricate patterns and images woven into the weave, rather than printed on the surface. The Gaultier Jean’s line uses this technique on the most amazing denim pieces using a Pegasus motif.

Continuing contemporary media’s love of vintage JPG, Euphoria’s opening episode of season two saw Zendaya’s character Rue do New Year’s Eve in the same kimono wrap vest teamed with a pair of Roberto Cavalli striped flares.

The jewellery from the collection is stunning, echoing the mythical creatures of the clothing with ram’s head medallions, lions, and serpents, created in matt copper metal with ruby-esque beads threaded on safety-pin chains. The oriental style JPG logotype that features on the coat that Björk wears is also featured on some pieces, along with the obligatory skulls.

Pierced bulls of the zodiac

I only recently acquired this item of knitwear from the ‘Le Grand Voyage’ of Autumn / Winter 1994, and I love it. I’ve been in love with the bull motif from this collection after seeing an ornate umbrella with the Taurus zodiac sign and a cast metal tip.

The bull pattern looks very similar to the Taurus zodiac sign that Gaultier himself has tattooed on his arm. The bull with a pierced nose would reappear in the ‘Safe Sex Forever’ collection of Spring Summer 1996.

At the show

For the show in Paris in July 1994, Gaultier turned an old train depot into a winter wonderland with fake snow to further immerse the audience into the idea of being on the journey.

On the runway, Björk (who won the best International Female at the BRIT Awards that year – with the award presented by Gaultier) wore a fur-lined coat reminiscent of traditional garments associated with Tibetan Sherpas.

What is a global village?

Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan came up with the concept of a “global village” in 1964 after noticing how the media had transcended geographical boundaries, bringing the world’s people closer together, making them neighbours, and transforming the planet into a vast global village.

In the August 1994 issue of Vogue “chic” is added to the global village idea to describe Gaultier’s spring 1994 show ‘Les Tatouages’ as “global village chic” with its confluence of cultures. As we know, different cultures and religions inspired him, and during a backstage interview in 1995, he declared an “all-embracing love and curiosity about the planet.”

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibition. Laika ac from USA, Laika ac Gaultier (7174607536), CC BY-SA 2.0

The post Enjoy an Exciting Oriental Journey of Cultures to the Global Village “Le Grand Voyage” F/W 1994 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

As I have quite a few articles from Jean Paul Gaultier collections that fall on either side of Junior Gaultier‘s existence, I have decided to create a page exploring the collections that came after the Junior Gaultier line ended. Expect quite a few Gaultier Jean’s items and some mainline too. I have pieces from Souvenirs De Vacances of Spring/Summer 1987, The Russian Constructivist Collection Fall/Winter 1986-87, and Les Rock Stars from Fall/Winter 1987, as well as Tribute to Frida Kahlo/Flamenco Spring/Summer 1998.

‘Fin de Siècle’ (End of Century) | ‘1940s Latino Lover’ Spring / Summer 1995

Women’s prêt-à-porter

This piece is a rare gem from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring-Summer 1995 collection Fin de Siècle, a collection renowned for its daring fusion of high fashion with iconic Renaissance works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.

Speaking about this collection, which focused on a century of fashion from Lycra to S-curve corsets, Jean Paul Gaultier told Vogue’s Laird Borrelli-Persson that he didn’t want to repeat history: “It’s not modern to do an exact copy, you have to mix up the decades in order to achieve a modern silhouette.” If current fashion is defined by a high-low mix, that of the late 1990s was fixated on an old-new one.

‘Cavaliere et Amazon’s de temps Modernes’ (Horsewomen and Amazones of Modern Time) (Mad Max) Autumn / Winter 1995-96

Women’s prêt-à-porter

Although the 1995 fall/winter collection is commonly known as the Cyber show, as well as the Mad Max show, the designer himself claimed backstage that, considering the emphasis on feminine silhouettes, ‘Mad Maxette’ was a more appropriate term. In a 2024 article written by Stephanie Sorn for Vogue, on the exhibition CinéMode par Jean Paul Gaultier, the designer explains.

“Cinema has been my constant source of inspiration, and I have made full collections inspired by movies, like my fall/winter ’95 Mad Max collection – or, should I say, “Mad Maxette.” I have been inspired by the scavenger aesthetic of the films and the way it portrayed technology. The collection was intended for an Amazonian woman who is courageous, confident, and very much in control of her life.”

A futuristic dotted print was included in the collection, strewn across dresses, skirts, and hooded catsuits that were influenced by Victor Vasarely, the Op-Art legend. “I wanted to make the shape of a body in the Vasarely optical way”, Gaultier told Vogue. 

Safe Sex Forever Spring / Summer 1996

The “Safe-Sex Forever” tattoo designs were from “Cyberbaba”, yet it appears that they had their own mini advertising campaign, particularly for the Gaultier Jean’s label.

‘Cyberbaba’ | ‘Pin-Up Boys’ Spring / Summer 1996

Women’s prêt-à-porter / men’s prêt-à-porter

In Gaultier’s own words, “It’s called Cyberbaba. It means cyber as in cybernetic, and baba, ‘it’s ‘baba cool’ a French expression meaning hippy. So it’s a mixing of new technology and also the ecology of the hippy.’

These tribal tattoo jeans get a lot of compliments when I wear them, and I’ve only recently dug out the velvet vest that I didn’t think went with anything – maybe it doesn’t! This collection is the most amazing sensory overload you could ever wish for. The jeans don’t feature on the catwalk, but the pattern is represented in several colourways by semi-sheer dresses and shirts. As well as the tribal tattoos, there are printed optical illusion body map mesh items with gold metallic foil sections that emphasise the cybernetic circuits.

Gaultier muse and regular male model Tanel Bedrossiantz joins the show wearing the most amazing shiny pinstripe suit. In the Pin-Up Boys collection, he can be seen wearing a pink sailor suit and looking beautifully camp.

After watching the show, I was able to date the Hawaiian palm print jeans (below), which stood out on the catwalk, mainly due to looking out of place!

I gained an admiration for the prints of whole animals, including a vibrant flamingo, an elephant, and a goat – it is great to see their context within the collection as semi-sheer tops in a patchwork mash-up of both solid colour and printed panels. There’s one particular shirt design with a snake that I particularly like, slithering over a block of metallic gold with the sleeves in the now iconic futuristic dotted print inspired by Op Art artist Victor Vasarely and used extensively in the previous season’s Mad Max collection.

Not forgetting the cyber trompe l’oeil muscle print jacket with halftone dots that always reminds me of Robin Williams’s pensive look while being snapped wearing it.

Many of the models’ feet feature Geta, traditional Japanese footwear with a flat wooden base elevated with up to three blocks, or “teeth,” secured to the foot with a fabric thong. They are designed to elevate the wearer from the ground and thus protect the hem of the clothes (particularly expensive kimonos) from getting dirty.

‘La Boule et le Cube’ (Sphere and Cube) Autumn / Winter 1996-97

As the name suggests, this collection is based on op art prints in the form of spheres and cubes. One of my favourite Gautier prints is from this collection, composed of three-dimensional spheres with concentric circular patterns and has similarities to the work of Tadasky (Tadasuke Kuwayama).

After watching the Autumn-Winter 1996-97 catwalk show, I saw all these elements and had an epiphany. There are dresses and trousers with welded seams, crimped like a 1960s copper flat roof, giving box-like legs and bodies. These architectural block elements were inspired by Piet Mondrian, well-known for his geometric paintings structured by black lines and red, yellow, and blue rectangles.

The psychedelic 3D spheres and cubes add a fourth dimension, adding a hypnotic layer to what you watch on the catwalk.

This brings me to the jacket, which is anything but subtle in its pattern, but its optical art tries to make you see dimensions before colours and patterns. I’ve been struggling to find an art movement to which I could attribute this pattern, and the closest I’ve got is Suprematism, established by the artist Kazimir Malevich, which emphasised the principles of geometry using simple geometric forms such as circles, squares, lines, and rectangles.

‘La Parisienne Punk’ | ‘House of Pleasures’ Spring / Summer 1997

Women’s prêt-à-porter / men’s prêt-à-porter

‘La Culture Noire et sa Force’ | ‘Flower Power and Skinheads’ Autumn / Winter 1997

At a time when France’s immigration laws stoked the fire of racism, Gaultier fought back by celebrating the global influence of black culture via several lenses, including beauty, traditions, art, dance music, and costumes.

Gaultier reminisces, “In 1984, I met a woman in Barbès (a Parisian neighbourhood) dressed in a traditional wax boubou* over which she wore a large tweed man’s overcoat. This inspired a whole mixed collection. 13 years later, I wanted to once again pay homage to this culture. way more marked and show to what extent it influenced fashion in general.”

As one of the motifs of this collection, the French designer launched a graphic print series in a newspaper halftone effect that advocates the fight against racism. Most photographs reproduced in newspapers are printed as halftones. In a halftone, the continuous tones of the reproduced picture are broken into a series of equally spaced dots of varying size.

At close sight, you can appreciate young anti-fascists with a very strong skinhead aesthetic, wearing clothes with the message “Fight against racism”, including anarchist and hippy symbolism, such as the peace sign.

The Skinhead movement arose in the late 1960s as a result of an amazing coming together of newly arriving migrants from the West Indies and white working-class culture, making it one of the most misinterpreted subcultures in the United Kingdom.

‘Tribute to Frida Kahlo/Flamenco’ Spring / Summer 1998

Women’s prêt-à-porter

“Macho Elegance” Spring / Summer 1998

Men’s prêt-à-porter

This piece is one of the first vintage Gaultier items I have bought. It’s from the ‘Tribute to Frida Kahlo/Flamenco’ collection of Spring / Summer 1998. It is one of many Gaultier items that reinvent the trucker jacket, in this instance with a punkish safety pin closure.

Very different from Frida Kahlo’s iconic style of full-circle skirts, maxi shawls, braided hair, floral headbands, and unruly brows.

Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista walked down the runway in Gaultier’s Frida Kahlo-inspired collection, wearing monobrows.

‘Like a Prayer’ Autumn / Winter 1998-99

Men’s prêt-à-porter

‘Les Touristes Japonaises au Louvre’ Spring / Summer 1999

This is such a simple yet effective concept of how Japanese tourists at the Louvre would be inspired to meld Japanese-influenced garments with the theme of Hellenistic statues from Ancient Greece.

The statue prints were a key element of the collection, becoming an iconic motif for Gaultier, reinforced by plaster casts of statues from the Louvre as the backdrop for the show

A standout piece from the collection is a dress featuring a trompe l’oeil print of a statue, possibly Aphrodite, creating the illusion of a sculpted naked body with its modesty partly spared with a draped cloth. A kimono dress with a Venus de Milo print beautifully represents the collection, including blossoms, Japanese writing, and randomly placed palm trees in its design.

‘The Third Millennium Will Be About Love’ Autumn / Winter 1999-2000

Scottish-inspired kilts from the Autumn/Winter 1998/99 show use the trompe-l’œil effect of hand-beaded tartan patterns, designed to imitate the woollen fabric of a traditional kilt.

The post Enjoy Jean Paul Gaultier’s Monumental Collections of the 1980s and 1990s first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Several of Gaultier’s iconic design elements were included in the collection, including the Breton stripe, conical bra, and lingerie-style garments. However, for this show, Gaultier played with the deconstruction of skirts, shirts and trousers, which he turned inside out and upside down and elongated, bringing waistbands above nipples.

“With his reversals of all the questions, he’s like a genuine philosopher,” Ingrid Sischy remarked about the show. In the 1994 Douglas Keeve documentary “Unzipped” Sischy defends Gaultier’s mix of politics and culture in fashion following the controversy of the “Chic Rabbis” collection that followed in the autumn.

If it weren’t for the leather belt dangling lifelessly, the subtlety of a pair of black trousers turned upside down would be lost. The upside-down shirt worn as a skirt was less subtle and perhaps less wearable. A mini dress with a waistband at the hem and a slit in the skirt by way of a fly opening, on the other hand, works perfectly.

The denim section of the show is stunning, and the VERY high-waisted jeans held up with braces at first glance like dungarees. Little denim corsets are split into strips that resemble Roman soldiers’ defensive leather skirts, known as pteruges.

I can’t help but think of the American hip-hop duo Kris Kross, who in the early 1990s were also responsible for a short-lived craze among teenagers for wearing clothes back to front. Going to the loo would have been a challenge for them.

Wigs and merkins

Not even the variety of hairstyles one may anticipate from a Gaultier show will adequately prepare you for the furry finale!

A model with long hair that cascades from each breast to the floor is seen wearing a striped skirt suit. Model Tanel Bedrossiantz sashays into view wearing an absurdly long blond chest wig.

A more structured breast covering is worn by a blonde model, whose hair spirals into a bra. It’s soon the men’s turn again, this time a hirsute skirt in ginger which looks strangely wearable.

Climaxing in a sensual lack of hair, sequined dresses in flesh tones thrust faux erect nipples in your face, while merkins placed pubic hair on the opposite side of the dress’s material, reaffirming the show’s inside-out concept as well as pushing the boundaries of gender and body image.

A nautical theme

The T-shirt that I’m sporting is (dare I say) pretty unremarkable, other than the quality of its knitted 100% cotton fabric. On the runway, a zip-up vest with navy stripes going vertically, and the same badge, is worn over a suit jacket. This looks quite striking, if not slightly uncomfortable.

This stitched-on crest features luxurious metallic threads that form elements consisting of a Greek laurel motif, an anchor and chain, an English crown, and a motto ribbon of “Junior”.

The smell of success

1993 was an important year for Gaultier’s career, as he debuted his Classique* perfume, marking his entry into the fragrance industry. The reality is that all the large fashion houses make most of their profit from accessories such as sunglasses, perfume, and handbags.

As many luxury brands are deemed out of reach for most consumers, designer fragrances are a more cost-effective way to access haute couture.

*The fragrance was released as JPGaultier Eau de Parfum in 1993 and renamed Classique in 1995.

The post Deconstruction and Stunning Tailoring Have Great Effect in Hair-raising Junior Gaultier “Andro Jeans” S/S 1993 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

Twenty years later in a 2015 article on vogue.com, the collection was summed up as “an exhilarating, sometimes bewildering hodgepodge romp of references that included men in skirts, denim cut in eighteenth-century shapes, corsetry, Joan of Arc–style armour, a punkish graffiti print, and a tattoo-currency motif.” 

Maison Martin Margiela does tattoos too

The article highlights the Spring/Summer 1989 collection by Maison Martin Margiela, which included tattoo prints inspired by Aztec culture on nude mesh. This technique gave the impression of inked skin, something that Gaultier did not attempt to accomplish because he used tattoos as a separate element from the clothing.

(Martin Margiela relocated to Paris in 1984 to work as Jean Paul Gaultier’s design assistant after graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.)

Global village chic – a hybrid of fashion and social commentary

Clearly, a lot is going on in the catwalk presentation, but perhaps “hodgepodge” is a touch harsh. The show features a variety of prints, and yes, there was armour!

Maybe there’s too much going on at once to take in all of the references – sensory overload – but if you slow down the footage or look at individual photos of the models, you can see how different cultures have influenced the various prints, resulting in a hybrid of fashion and social commentary. (There is one print that I find jarring amongst the rest of the collection, and it’s the American blue, red, and white pinup girl print.)

Top notes included African tribal designs and BIG Maasai beads. The much-discussed faux piercings reflected Indian and Southeast Asian cultures, including traditional Hindu nose rings linked by chains to the models’ ears. Simple Hawaiian palm tree woodcut images appeared throughout, in a variant of a design I was already familiar with. There were also Mediaeval armoured arms and legs in a homage to Joan of Arc.

This collection featured a variety of bodily modifications, including models with real tattoos and those adored with fake tattoos. Skin-tight opaque fabrics with elaborate prints replicate sections of the intricate patterns on numerous European paper currencies, including background designs and denominations.

The collection features three Gaultier brands and a variety of strong motifs. In my opinion, that’s what makes the collection so intriguing, as the primary line was supplemented by both the Junior Gaultier and Gaultier Jean brands.

If you’ve seen previous shows, you’ll know that cigarettes on the runway are a Gaultier trademark, albeit in this show, pretending to puff on joss sticks would have suggested Eastern mysticism.

A penchant for pierced body parts

Whereas previous collections inspired by the (London) streets were limited to subcultures such as punk rock and mod, Gaultier stated that 1994’s competing narratives reflected what he observed on the street, albeit the global village streets of Paris.

In a New York Times story about the show, a less than enthusiastic Bernadette Morris saw aspects of punk culture. “His wacky collection could have made you smile, but first you would have had to get past his penchant for pierced body parts. Chains connecting pierced noses with pierced ears were the least of them. Along with his body tattoos, this was part of his homage to punk fashion. It wasn’t very uplifting, but some of the clothes were fun.”

Is this reminiscent of the previous season’s alleged cultural appropriation with the “Chic Rabbis” collection? As of June 2023, India is the world’s most populous country, therefore it is far from a minority. And, as Gaultier himself stated about the collection, “I wanted to point out the tribal roots of body art and offer a little history lesson”.

Gauiltier’s tattoo experience

In a 2014 news article in The Independent newspaper about his new exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, Gaultier recounts his experience of getting a tattoo himself, which I think was a Tahitian design on his bicep. “I had my first done in 1987, in London, as the one doing the tattoo was very cute, but, alas, he make an ugly one. Bon. I should have choose the one that was doing it well rather than looking well himself! Anyway, in 1991 I went to a tattoo convention, there were these boys and girls with pear-sing [piercing] and tattoo that was incredible.

Gaultier then tells a story that I’ve heard before but in more detail. “One of the things I never forget was an old lady, my age now; she wore a black leather pencil skirt, ‘igh ‘eels, almost white hair, little glasses and a blouse, transparent, very chic, with a bra, printed, oohh. Then I realise it’s not a bra – because I see a piercing – it was a tattoo like the bra, the bra was a tattoo! My God, so incredible, so fabulous. I had already started my collection but now everything I wanted tattoo, tattoo, tattoo, and that was how it start and now I print on the clothes, chiffon, everything.”

The Maltese Cross as a design element

If you look closely at the photo of model Stella Tennant on the catwalk, you’ll see the Japanese writing that features on the Junior Gaultier T-shirt that I am modelling.

The shirt also features an image of the ‘Maltese Cross’ worn by Christian soldiers. during the Crusades and became identified with the Order and Knights of St John once they arrived in Malta. At first sight, the characters encircling the cross appear to be writing. Still, they are actually lions and unicorns that were added to the original cross in 1888 when Queen Victoria granted The Order of St John royal charter. The Lion has been used in heraldry as a symbol for England for centuries accompanied by unicorns the symbol for Scotland.

The Heraldry Tattoo collection

Speaking about heraldry, I’ve been captivated by Gaultier’s recent Heraldry Tattoo design from the 2023 Tattoo Collection. It’s amazing how accurately the print has been copied; I wonder why the original print was never reprinted.

The Tattoo Collection revisits memories of the 1990s, reinventing Jean Paul Gaultier’s universe of tattoos, piercings, body adornments, and images of naked bodies and the unavoidable sailor stripes. I especially enjoy the sun pattern that surrounds a trompe-l’oeil belly button piercing.

Jewellery with an ethnic inspiration

In January 1994’s edition of Vogue an article on bangles and bracelets with an ethnic inspiration, Giorgio Armani’s influences are noted as the Mediterranean regions of Greece, Tunisia, and Sicily, whilst Donna Karan’s bracelets are referred to as “future tribal”. On Gaultier’s contribution to the trend, the article

“Gaultier put a global spin on the bracelets he sent down his spring runway, blending inspiration from the African Masai with a ‘touch of Joan of Arc’. The result: an eccentric, multicultural mix of Virgin Mary medallions, offbeat charms, and intricate ethnic metalwork.”

Joan of Arc is the perfect muse for Gaultier, as a warrior and saint, masculine and feminine

Given that Joan of Arc is France’s patron saint and a strong woman who defies gender norms, it is unsurprising that Gaultier channelled her spirit on the catwalk.

Joan of Arc served as an inspiration for other fashion designers than Gaultier. With articulating armour plates, chain mail gowns, and even a recreation of Joan’s death encircled by a ring of flames, Alexander McQueen honoured her in his spring/summer 1998 collection. In his A/W 2006 haute couture collection for Christian Dior, John Galliano paid homage to Joan of Arc by sending an army of medieval warrior women down the runway.

The “Les Tatouages” show concluded with slices of chainmail replicated in silver sequins, metal studded loops, and suits of armour panels worn over deconstructed corset dresses.

What Vogue had to say about Junior Gaultier

In the April 1994 edition of Vogue US, we are treated to a synopsis of the Junior Gaultier label (albeit during its penultimate season of existence) based on the “Les Tatouages” collection. Junior Gaultier’s separates were described as being in contrasting materials that are toned-down yet more wearable, with details such as massive zippers and industrial strapping. The design is described as unexpectedly simple, yet with unique details such as blended patterns and removable sleeves. Vogue warns us not to expect to see any of Gaultier’s truly bizarre creations, such as the transparent corset-inspired dress with a weighted hem that debuted in this season’s main collection!

The “biggest bang for the buck” of the collection is apparently a short-sleeved rayon shirt with a print fabric inspired by old medical textbooks. “The theme, alas, is bandages – but it’s pure Gaultier”. The downside of this Junior Gaultier offering, according to Vogue, is quite perplexing, and I’m not sure I understand “If you’re a dominatrix and want to dress like one, Junior Gaultier is not for you. Of course, that’s good news for the rest of us; some items in this line are innocent-looking, even sweet-like the irresistibly light-hearted multipatterned poplin dresses.”

Club kids love Gaultier too

I love to see “real people” wearing fashion, so I had to include this photo taken in Leeds in 1994 by Stuart Linden Rhodes of a person wearing a shirt from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Les Tatouages collection.

The post Gaultier’s Global Village Chic Shows the Best of the World “Les Tatouages” S/S 1994 first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.

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 favourite 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 a 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 centre 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 — lies 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 favourite 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 grey 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 favourite 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 medium 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 for keeping me up to date with his Junior Gaultier research. Please check out his Instagram page Gaultier Junior High.

Will Clueless ever get old? Ugh, as if!

As testament to the popularity of the movie Clueless, and to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, Mona May, the costume designer of Clueless, Enchanted, and Romy & Michele (among many others!), has released her new book, The Fashion of Clueless.

Mona was recently interviewed by Alex, a fan of Clueless and the creator of the most incredible blog about identifying and dating vintage fashion, as well as discussions on personal style. In her post “Mona May is Like, a Totally Important Designer!” Alex noted that in her research, for the interview, she noticed that the yellow plaid suit has been attributed to two different designers.

“Yes! There was some confusion that it was Dolce [& Gabbana]. It’s Jean Paul Gaultier Junior.” Mona replied. “You know, you have to remember – it was 30 years ago. The costume is gone. There was no cell phone, there was no computer. The way that we were tracking things was with a Polaroid, handwritten notes. So like – who freakin’ remembers?

Somebody probably said it in an interview, you know, not knowing, and then you know how it gets spun and reprinted. It’s interesting, but I’m glad we’re now on the right track, we know for sure. It’s been verified. I remember certain trim, and we went back and found it online, one of the suits still existed. So we verified it.”

The post Amazing Knowledge, Not Clueless about Junior Gaultier’s Fashion History first appeared on Vintage Junior Gaultier Clothes.