Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier has surged in popularity in recent years, thanks to celebrities like Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus, Kylie Jenner, and Cardi B, who are obsessed with the designer’s cult ’80s and ’90s styles. Bella Hadid walked the red carpet at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival wearing a reworked look from Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture spring/summer 2002 collection. At 2021’s Parsons Benefit, Kylie Jenner wore the ultimate vintage bodycon dress from the ‘Forbidden Gaultier’ collection of Autumn / Winter 1987-88 featuring a two-tone design, full-length zip detailing and circular-stitched, cone-shaped cups.

The appeal of vintage Jean Paul Gaultier

So much is the demand for vintage that the house announced the opening of its own rental and resale service, making its vast archive available to more people.

“I have come from a generation that scoured flea markets,” Gaultier told Vogue magazine in 2021. “That is where I found a French navy striped shirt that I started wearing, and that became one of my codes. It’s a wonderful thing to give new life to old clothes and to wear them again. In this time of crisis and confusion, what could be better? There are too many clothes, and not enough people to wear them.”

Buying vintage fashion is not only a responsible thing to do in terms of the environment, but also a fun thing to do. It is unlikely that you’ll ever meet a person wearing the same thing that you are, and when you are wearing Gaultier, you’re sure to get compliments on the uniqueness of your outfit. The fact that I have items that are over 30 years old and in amazing condition is a testament to the quality of Junior Gaultier’s clothing. As I get more attached to various pieces, their history becomes increasingly important to me.

This is why I’m embarking on this project to catalogue some of my collection and hopefully share some information that could be of use to other collectors. I’m covering Jean Paul Gaultier’s ‘Les Rock Stars’ collection of Fall/Winter 1987, the Russian Constructivist collection of Fall/Winter 1986, and, of course, ‘Cyberbaba’ / ‘Pin-Up Boys’ of Spring/Summer 1996. Apologies if I get it wrong, I don’t profess to be an expert, but hopefully, you can help with any inaccuracies and between us, we can share some fashion history.

1988

• Women’s Collection “La Concierge est dans l’Escalier / The Concierge is on the Staircase” S/S 1988
• Women’s Collection “Boarding School” F/W 1988-89
• Men’s Collection “Modern Retros” S/S 1988
• Men’s Collection “Robin Hood / Robin Des Bois” F/W 1988-89

1989

• Women’s Collection “Voyage Autour du Monde en 186 Tenues / Around the World in 168 Outfits” S/S 1989
• Women’s Collection “Women Among Women” F/W 1989-90
• Men’s Collection “Western Baroque” S/S 1989
• Men’s Collection “Fantômas” F/W 1989-90

1990

• Women’s Collection “Les Rap’Pieuses” S/S 1990
• Women’s Collection “Memories of Buried Pasts, As Time Goes By” F/W 1990/91
• Men’s Collection “Rap’sody in Blue” S/S 1990
• Men’s Collection “Les Pieds Nickelés” F/W 1990/91

1991

• Women’s & Men’s Collection “Adam and Eve: Rastas of Today” S/S 1991
• Women’s Collection “French Cancan” F/W 1991-92
• Men’s Collection “Le Prisonnier” F/W 1991-92

1992

• Women’s Collection “Concours d’Elegance / Competition of Elegance” S/S 1992
• Women’s Collection “Europe of the Future” F/W 1992-93
• Men’s Collection “Casanova at the Gym” S/S 1992
• Men’s Collection “Photography Maniacs” F/W 1992-93
• Junior Gaultier “The Nightmare” F/W 1992

1993

• Women’s Collection “Gaultier Classics revisited” S/S 1993
• Women’s Collection “Chic Rabbis” F/W 1993-94
• Men’s Collection “Andro Jeans” S/S 1993
• Men’s Collection “Les Vikings” F/W 1993-94

1994

• Men’s & Women’s Collection “Les Tatouages” S/S 1994
• Women’s Collection “Le Grand Voyage” (The Great Journey) F/W 1994-95
• Men’s Collection “Tarbullbou’ Deville” F/W 1994-95

I would like to thank the amazing Gaultier Junior High who shares so much love and knowledge of the label and has helped me with this timeline.