Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 1993 collection included some of his stranger things, taking us to the upside down world of Paris.
Several of Gaultier’s iconic design elements were reinvented in the collection, including the Breton stripe, conical bra, and lingerie-style garments. Despite garments being playfully deconstructed by turning them upside down and inside out, and the strong role denim played in the collection, his high standards of tailoring shone through.
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. Trousers worn high on the chest turned waistbands into bustlines, in a style more eloquent than the tit waists of British old age pensioners.
As the title of the accompanying men’s collection “Andro Jeans” suggests, this reversed structure of garments blew away conventional silhouettes and the binary gender expectations, giving a strong androgynous statement.
Genitalia-shaped canapes
In a very short and somewhat pointless article in the Independent on Thursday, 9 July 1992, JPG’s Love Ball is mentioned, where he presented his spring 1993 men’s collection in La Cigalle nightclub, before transforming the catwalk into a dance floor. The article reveals that “Boy George, who did a turn on the catwalk for Gaultier, sang to the guests as they chomped on a series of genitalia-shaped canapes,” and then alleges that “Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS, groped his girlfriend-model, Helena Christiansen.”
According to the article, the event was intended to debut Gaultier’s new range of jeans, which would retail for around £70 per pair, noting that the Junior line will now focus on “basic stretch clothing” – whatever that means.
Eau de Parfum release
1993 was a busy year for Gaultier’s career; in addition to launching Gaultier Jeans, he also released his Classique* perfume, which marked his entrée into the fragrance sector. The truth is that all of the big fashion businesses generate the majority of their money from accessories like sunglasses, perfume, and purses. Many luxury products are considered out of reach for most consumers, but designer fragrances are a more affordable way to enjoy haute couture.
The image below shows a limited-edition rubber Classique perfume bottle case, released in 1994. Shaped in the now iconic sensual silhouette of a woman’s torso, it’s got a metal clasp that opens like a purse to reveal an atomiser.
*The fragrance was released as JPGaultier Eau de Parfum in 1993 and renamed Classique in 1995.