You can always expect 'the enfant terrible of fashion' Jean Paul Gaultier to put on a truly epic show, filled with out-of-the-box designs and plenty of memorable moments. Who could forget his one-off collaboration with Y/Project's Glenn Martens last season, for example, filled with clever plays on his iconic trompe l'oeil prints and those seriously eyebrow-raising trousers?
The retired French designer's 'new concept' for his Haute Couture collections sees him collaborate with a 'guest creative director' each season – and for autumn/winter, it was none other than Balmain's Olivier Rousteing.
Here's everything you need to know about last night's show:
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The inspiration
Olivier Rousteing took his task as guest couturier for the Maison very seriously, presenting Gaultier with no fewer than 200 sketches of his ideas in the early stages of the collaboration. Taking inspiration from Jean Paul Gaultier's vast archive of iconic work, Rousteing paid the designer homage while adding his own spin to well-known designs.
The vibe
Think classic JPG but with a modern, energised twist à la Rousteing. The iconic conical bras were moulded in leather and woven into gowns and blazers; Breton stripes were spliced into multicoloured robes and transformed into tape-like dresses; tailoring was pushed to its very limits and trompe l'oeil and tattoo motifs were everywhere – alongside a few Balmain signatures, such as sharp shoulders and metallics.
The dresses
Some four months in the making, the craftsmanship displayed in the collection was truly exquisite, from the perfume bottle-inspired metal dresses, avant-garden tailoring and feathers bursting out from a denim mini, to the leather bandage dress featuring a pin-cushion heart.
The surprise
As if we needed any more evidence that baby bumps are having a serious fashion moment, Rousteing sent two down the runway together – and the crowd went absolutely wild. The vibe was punk-rock mum with a whiff of Rihanna, as two models walked down the runway in moulded breastplates featuring a conical bra and protruding baby bump, accessorised with nose-ring chains and heavy metal jewellery. Just brilliant.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
