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fashion
January 22, 2020

Jean Paul Gaultier's Best Runway Moments

By Sarah Spellings

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Photo: Getty Images

Few designers are quite as theatrical as Jean Paul Gaultier, who takes his final runway bow today at his spring 2020 couture show. The announcement is sad, but Gaultier promised that he’s working on a “new concept” and that the Gaultier couture brand will live on. It also gives us the opportunity to look back at his 50 years of fashion showmanship.

Gaultier’s proclivities are clear: He is fascinated by lingerie (or the lack thereof), he loves a theme, and, in general, he thinks more is more. He wasn’t afraid of an exposed nipple on the runway — whether it was Madonna’s or the faux nipples etched into a catsuit. A 1997 show ended with the bride turning around to expose a flower-adorned G-string, as though she had misplaced her bouquet after the ceremony. When it came to nudity, Gaultier was endlessly inventive.

He was inventive about theme, too. One of his most memorable shows was couture for fall 2007. The models (mostly female) were dressed as princes, with the costumes getting increasingly opulent — and, in some cases, appropriative. But even his comparatively simple dresses became iconic. His love for Breton-striped tees is well documented, but one dress from a 2000 couture show melted from a long-sleeved striped tee into a Breton-striped feathered skirt. Gaultier later featured the dress in his spring 2007 ready-to-wear show along with some of his favorite looks from years past. See some of our own favorites below.

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1 / 44 Photos
Madonna at the Jean Paul Gaultier runway show benefit for APLA in L.A., 1993. Photo: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2006. Photo: Pool BASSIGNAC/BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2000. Photo: Pierre VAUTHEY/Sygma via Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2011. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2003. Photo: Alexis DUCLOS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Naomi Campbell walks the runway at the spring/summer 2002 couture show. Photo: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty Images
Carla Bruni walks the runway at the spring/summer 2002 couture show. Photo: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2007. Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2010. Photo: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2011. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Beth Ditto walks the spring/summer 2011 ready-to-wear show. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2007. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Dita Von Teese at fall/winter haute couture 2010. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 1993. Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2009. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 1997. Photo: Pool ARNAL/PICOT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2012. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2012. Photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage
Fall/winter haute couture, 2013. Photo: Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2014. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2011. Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage
Fall/winter haute couture, 2014. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2015. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2014. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2014. Photo: Catwalking/Getty Images
Dita Von Teese walks the runway at the spring/summer 2014 haute couture show. Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Gisele Bündchen walks the runway at the fall/winter 2000 ready-to-wear show. Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Soo Joo Park walks the runway during the fall/winter 2016 haute couture show. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 1990. Photo: Pierre VAUTHEY/Sygma via Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2006. Photo: Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2007. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 2007. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2007. Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images
Coco Rocha dances down the runway at the fall/winter 2008 ready-to-wear show. Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images
Raquel Zimmermann walks the runway at the fall/winter 2007 couture show. Photo: Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images
Coco Rocha at the fall/winter 2008 ready-to-wear show. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Fall/winter haute couture, 2017. Photo: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Naomi Campbell walks the runway at the spring/summer 1989 ready-to-wear show. Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Inès de la Fressange walks the runway at the spring/summer 2009 couture show. Photo: Chris Moore/Catwalking/Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2009. Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage
Spring/summer haute couture, 2018. Photo: Peter White/Getty Images
Spring/summer ready-to-wear, 1996. Photo: Pool ARNAL/PAT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Spring/summer haute couture, 2010. Photo: Dominique Charriau/WireImage
Spring/summer haute couture, 2010. Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage
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