Ever wondered what fashion designers do all day? I mean, they only have to do two collections of clothes per year, and how hard can that be? Slackers. But Jean Paul Gaultier isn’t one to sit around in his stripey underpants in front of the Xbox when he finds a little downtime; instead he’s working on other aspects that make his catwalk events that little bit more special. JP designs the invitations for his shows himself, and we’re not just talking about gluing bits of ribbon and other haberdashery tat onto recycled cardboard. Mais non. He’s also a key player in the advertising campaigns that accompany his couture.
His work in these fields has been so good for so long that they are getting their own exhibition at the London College of Fashion – Jean Paul Gaultier: Be My Guest. The curators have gone back to the early years, to when this enfant terrible was still an enfant, and 1985’s introduction to androgyny Wardrobe for Two. There’s photographic collage work for the Chic Rabbis collection from ’93/4, and perhaps our favourite, the painterly Frida Kahlo tribute of 1998 with vibrant illustration by Fred Longlais. Sashay over to the LCF before 26 July.
Constructivist (or Russian collection).
Women’s prêt-à-porter autumn/winter 1986-1987
Ad campaign for the fin de siècle collection,
Women’s prêt-à-porter spring /summer 1995;
art direction and photography: Jean Paul Gaultier
Photo, Katy Davies
Ad campaign for the Elegance Contest
and Casanova at the Gym collections,
Women’s and Men’s prêt-à-porter spring/summer 1992;
art direction and photography: Jean Paul Gaultier
Ad campaign for the Chic Rabbis collection,
Women’s prêt-à-porter autumn / winter 1993- 1994;
art direction and photography: Jean Paul Gaultier
