Jean-Paul GAULTIER
(1952 - )
French couturier & street fashion maven. Collection presented in Paris Born 1952 in Arcueil, France. Best known for designing the cone bra worn by Madonna during her Blond-Ambition Tour.
Worked as assistant to Michel GOMA at Patou, Angelo TARLAZZI & Pierre CARDIN.
1977 company formed.
1976 1st women's Ready to Wear collection shown in Paris.
1984 1st men's collection shown.
1988 Junior GAULTIER line started.
1992 GAULTIER Jeans line started.
1993 1st perfume launched.
1997 Haute Couture collection started.
Jean-Paul GAULTIER is the drama queen of the fashion world. Whether he's shmoozing with Madonna, hosting the EMAs or whipping up costumes for the hottest foreign flick, GAULTIER is always in the spotlight.
GAULTIER grew up in French suburbia, sketching fantasy collections in his spare time. His fashion dreams lead him to Paris and at age 18, GAULTIER found himself, working for Pierre CARDIN. For six years, he apprenticed with various designers and finally released his own debut collection in 1976. Although his first collections were basically ignored, it wasn't long before GAULTIER made stir.
With hedonism, religion, street life, androgyny and most recently Frida KAHLO as his muses, GAULTIER has churned out some of this decade's most memorable garments. Think: Madonna's Blond Ambition bustier, or the costumes in "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" and "The Fifth Element".
In recent years, GAULTIER has launched diffusion line called JPG, and perfume sold in sexy glass torso bottles sealed in tin cans. The scent is supposedly reminiscent of GAULTIER's own grandmother, a hair dresser who he credits for teaching him style. With hopes of finally designing couture collection, GAULTIER eyed the seat Gianfranco FERRE left empty at DIOR in 1996. When DIOR chose John GALLIANO instead, GAULTIER got the last word. He presented his own couture collection in 1996.
GAULTIER & Bjoerk have been good friends for years. She even modelled for him in 1993, event immortalized in the film Pret-à-Porter. Though she's hardly the junky Madonna is, Bjoerk has worn GAULTIER's clothes publicly both in her Violently Happy video & in Vessel.
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