Daily Front Row

2008 January 24

Jean Paul Gaultier - Paris Couture Spring 2008

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Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Spring 2008
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(PARIS) Creativity, thy name is Jean Paul Gaultier. Channeling a similar underwater aquatic theme as Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, Gaultier’s exotic couture collection returned to the sea, a location the enfant terrible has a particular affinity for--and in doing so, gave new meaning to The Little Mermaid. “Sometimes I wonder if I was a kind of fish in another life,” the designer laughed after the show.

Marine life was the strong undercurrent for his collection, evident in fish-scale print gowns, navy and white sailor-striped caftans, and even an over-the-top jumpsuit cast in gold scales, which he sent down the runway with a wet sponge. With Coco Rocha posing on a large rock with bubbles blowing up around her as the background, so began a acid-trip parade that one wishes Jacques Cousteau could have witnessed first-hand. The effect translated all the way through the matted wet hair on some of the models.

Those who were not relegated to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea channeled a bohemian vibe in return. Flower power was the name of the game here, with loose, comfortable caftans and dresses that evoked images of a lazy day on the sand. But interwoven throughout the show were standout pieces that have made Gaultier a go-to for the deep-pocketed set, including a scalloped skirt suit, navy vertical print pantsuit (trousers were particularly strong), and a confection of evening gowns aflutter with mother-of-pearl detail.

The highly entertaining show ended with Rocha limping out onto the runway on a pair of coral crutches, her bosom amplified with a decidedly Madonna-esque pair of shells for a bra. There goes the neighborhood.