biastas: Jean Paul Gaultier

I love JPG. <3

He is a MODEL of success and style for me. I feel like I have so many similarities with him... I mean intellectually ; far from the idea I have his talent and his genius !

But I would really like to meet him one day...

Let's talk about the story of the labeled "enfant terrible" of fashion...

Jean Paul Gaultier was born on April 24th 1952 in the Bagneux suburb of Paris and had a modest childhood. His father was a book keeper and his mother a secretary.

He was a very sweet and quiet boy and he only had girls as friends. Later, he said about this "I am more attracted to men from the physical point of view but I find women easier to talk to. I understand them more. But I like wearing both men and women."

His grandmother taught him how to sew and to make corsets.

He made his first stylistic experiments at 6 on his bear called "Nana".

At 17, he created several works and sent his drawing to a number of fashion houses.

At 18 he was employed as one of the assistants of Pierre Cardin, then worked for Jacques Esterel and Jean Patou.

JPG younger. I think Jean Paul becomes sexier with age...

He flew to the US but a tragedy happened when his grandmother died and he had to return to Paris.

In 1976 his first collection of ready-made clothes passed unnoticed.

In 1978 "Kashiyama", a Japanese fashion company offered to fill a vacancy at their house. And Gaultier his own fashion house for this money. Only the 5th collection gets successful : Gaultier become a God of Fashion.

During the 80's launch the fashion of masculine feminin.

He invented the concept of boy toy. The must have of his brand : corset and marinière

Combining elements from both men and women the range from underwear to evening clothes.

At the left S/S 1987 collection.

THE ART OF PROVOCATION

Gaultier started to make skirts for men with the S/S 1985 collection entitled "Et Dieu créa l'Homme".

quilted skirt from A/W 1985-1986 "Le Charme coincé de la Bourgeoisie" collection

In the 90's his partner Fransis Menouge died of AIDS.

Madonna "blond ambition tour" costumes by JPG (1990)

In 1991, the "Adam & Eve - modern adventurers" S/S collection is a collection with both men and women :

In A/W 1994-1995, "Le Grand Voyage" collection :

A man and a woman symetrically perched on clogs a la geisha

wearing almost identical coats in rich quilted satin

At the left, picture from the French "ELLE" in 1994.

Jean Paul Gaultier is inspired by the Far East and the emergence of gays in the 70's.

Men A/W 96-97 collection

In 1997, he was admitted into the "Chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne" (at the same time as Thierry Mugler) and he launched his first collection Haute couture "GAULTIER PARIS".