CTR AW10: Jean Paul Gaultier
It was with his usual, playful vigour that Jean Paul Gaultier presented his Fall 2010 Couture show in Paris’ third arrondissement. Models, including Dita von Teese, paraded down the runway in the customary Gaultier swagger, swishing glamorous coats and teetering around with Hepburn-esque cigarette holders. This show continued from this year’s Spring line in the sense that the clothes were dynamic, indulgent and extraordinarily well crafted.
Turban-clad models stormed onto the runway, sporting a pageant of craftsmanship and clear, well-executed design. A vampish gabardine trench, worn by Karlie Kloss, was the first in a succession of cleverly cut garments, all of which demonstrated Gaultier’s love of the old and lust for the new. Gaultier’s inimitable handiwork shone unmistakeably through the use of fur and leather, with Gaultier using the fabrics in interesting ways.
Fur and feathers paired with sheer silk to suggest extravagance and decadence, whilst leather and polyutherane melding the classic with the futuristic. A silver fox wrap and red fox fur trimmings, alongside layered, dripping feathers created a debauched, indulgent mood whilst panelled leather and shimmering, aquatic PU skirts fused to give the collection its ultramodern je ne sais quoi.
A slight tribal feeling mirrored the progression from Spring to Fall. Amongst the highlights of the collection was an embellished, batwing playsuit, which reminded me of the backdrop of Sex and the City 2. There was daywear, there was nightwear. Black and white, and the most striking of colours along the way, was used to create a timeless but open-minded expression of dress.
Altogether, this take worked well to create a collection that was balanced and demonstrative, showing that Gaultier can please a number of different women, which, after all, is what the industry is all about.
