Suits and sparkle: the two faces of Jean-Paul Gaultier : French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier offered women a chance to indulge both their serious and playful sides next winter, with a collection of trim suits for daytime and sparkling gowns for evening. Gaultier's women -- coiffed and made up with glittering green eye shadow to look like David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust days -- seemed equally at ease in either persona, enjoying the chance to live a double life in true style. Long jackets with fitted waists sketched an impeccable silhouette for autumn-winter 2005-06, as did tweed coats in black and white or caramel cashmere, which fell in points in the front. Paired with metallic silver or red leggings, the relatively sober jackets and coats added a moment of calm. The full tweed look should let the label's sales and marketing people breathe easier. Gaultier's ready-to-wear collection included several pieces that left editors and buyers wishing they could be a model for a day, like a simple form-fitting velvet dress built to perfectly hug a woman's curves. Other black knit dresses that ended with asymmetrical white flounces were perfect for the temptress on the prowl. The French designer casually tossed furs onto the shoulders of his models like a caramel fox stole or an astrakhan coat, topped with a wide-brimmed hat. Knitted mink sweaters brought abstract paintings to mind. For evening, a trench dress with a flounced collar sparkled, as did long tutus embellished with a generous sprinkle of sequins -- perfect for the fashion princess.
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