Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2005, Paris

[brian]

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.

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

the man himself...

 

[wyatt.]

looks great already

 

[raijin]

There is defintely some good stuff here.

 

[brian]

the entire collection is up now on style.com

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

 

[brian]

PARIS, March 1, 2005 – "Let's glam!" said Jean Paul Gaultier backstage at his exuberant fall show. "David Bowie, thank you! T. Rex, thank you!" And to the glam-rock strains of that group's "20th Century Boy" and "Children of the Revolution," Gaultier sent out his raucous parade. In fact, fun and flashy as those silver sequined leggings, second-skin brocade pants, and faux monkey-fur epaulets may have been, the peacock glitter eye shadow and Bowie quiffs were largely styling tricks—a diversion from the elegant core of a collection filled with classically chic clothes.

Gaultier's savvy tailoring played with influences as diverse as turn-of-the-century military uniforms and constructivist graphics, and he scissored the hems of his coats into diamond points—a line repeated on his reworked duffel, trench, and chic black "tuxedo" coat-dress, wittily tied with a gentleman's fringed white silk evening scarf. There seems no end to the mischief Gaultier can wreak with his flawless trenchcoats, and this season he provided the loveliest yet—their revers had morphed into layered Pierrot collars, in black, cocoa, or mushroom faille. Prettiness continued to bloom at night, with enchanting chiffon or tulle evening dresses bound up in ribbons, or spangled with a cosmos of sequins—very Ziggy Stardust.

– Hamish Bowles

 

[brian]

...my absolute favorite detail was the sequinned leggings worn with sparkle lurex socks and t-strap pumps... oh, how amazing is this collecition!?!?

 

[birdofparadise]

I love its playful and ironic sense of luxury and heady dose of fun...it's so very grown up and yet still so charming, exactly what was missing from a half baked Milan season. So very nice...

 

[mdankwah]

Those are some beautiful clothes

 

[brian]

I love its playful and ironic sense of luxury and heady dose of fun...it's so very grown up and yet still so charming, exactly what was missing from a half baked Milan season. So very nice...

my sentiments exactly. thank you, bop....