Jean Paul Gaultier bids farewell in typical wacky, flashy style

The champagne flowed, along with the tributes, on Saturday as irrepressible fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier slathered his last ready-to-wear show in bucketloads of his famously wacky sense of humour. The event had been the must-have invitation of the current Paris fashion week ever since Gaultier announced his decision to quit ready-to-wear and concentrate on couture nearly two weeks ago. In a show that was classic Gaultier, the flamboyant showman of Paris fashion delighted his audience with a beauty-pageant theme that provoked cheers, whoops and roars of laughter. Cards on guests’ seats welcomed them to the “election of Miss Jean Paul Gaultier 2015” and thanked everyone who had supported him over the years with special mentions for “Miss Footballer’s Wife”, “Miss Fashion Editor” and “Miss Tour de France”, all of whom he gently sent up during the show.

I feel very happy, we will see what else, a lot of thing, a lot of other projects but for today, it’s marvellous and super, super happy.

Jean Paul Gaultier

The former enfant terrible of French fashion - regarded by many as the designer who “wrote the rules” on ready-to-wear - is known worldwide for his outlandish imagination, designing Madonna’s cone-shaped bras and putting real people on the catwalk. The designer, considered one of France’s all-time most talented designers, got his start in fashion as an assistant to Pierre Cardin in 1970. He launched himself in ready-to-wear in 1976 at a time of high creativity for the industry and later moved into couture in 1997. The 62-year-old Frenchman is also famed for the cult “Eurotrash” programme he presented with Antoine de Caunes on British television in the 1990s. Gaultier earlier this month cited the hectic pace of the modern fashion industry for his decision to bow out after nearly 40 years.

For some time, I have found true fulfilment in working on the haute couture, and it allows me to express my creativity and my taste for research and experimentation. I will be able again to express my creativity without constraints.

Jean Paul Gaultier, speaking to Women’s Wear Daily

Arts gaultier