PARIS, Jan 29, 2007/ FW/ --- Gaultier², like the last fragrance launched by the most Parisian fashion house, has now also become a landmark of Paris menswear collections.

Jean-Paul Gaultier has proven one more time, with the collection he sent on the runway today, that his idea of proposing men and women to share the same wardrobe, is achievable, season after season.

His collection of suits, pleated skirts, faux leggings, turtleneck shirts, fowl blousons in dominant shades of fawn is equally suiting elegant and edgy metrosexual humans of both sexes.

Jackets of velvet or fowl, woollen coats, in the perfectly tailored tradition of the House all have the contemporary apparent purity, with the finishing detail that makes them luxury goods.

A leather inlay is placed here at the back under the collar, for a chic eyewink to saddlery. Elsewhere, the leather inlayed sleeves’ bottoms prolong the matching gloves’ ribs.

However, the trousers in the collection represent the season’s real novelty. They are the right compromise between the stockings/leggings present on nearly every menswear catwalk, cut with a more classic pants upper part with pockets and belt loops that make them possible to take on.

Their stretch fabrics do mould the calves and bottom, but the upper thighs and the crotch must certainly feel more at ease in these innovative tailored leggings or pants-stockings, which sometimes come complete with a zipped fly to make them easier to get in and more masculine to take off.

Mainly in the shades of vibrant autumn leaves, the colours are meant to warm you up, just like the natural furs and leather they are sometimes paired with.

Denims are also tinted, some even embroidered with ethnic stitched patterns in fawn. Suits and coats lean on chocolate brown, for a more all-purpose tone.

A few pieces are treated with deep night blue, some with grey, especially a Prince-of-Wales jacket to wear with the matching tailored leggings or pants.

Black often mingles with silver lurex on shiny jerseys in leggings, turtleneck shirts and matching low boots for clubwear. A few gold soft pieces presented at the end of the show seem more adapted to girls. Just like the big zodiac signs printed on a coat and a pleated skirt. But the long cardigan of kilim can also be worn by men on stylish weekends.

Among the shoes, what looked like Texan boots at first glance, with all the adequate inlays and stitches, consists in fact of a two-piece device comprising shoe and gaiter.

The same feature also appeared on the arms once for a very impressive glove effect. Comfortable, easy to match with many looks, let us hope that these gaiters make it to the shops where they could become the season’s must-haves.

The beauty parlour theme was extremely fit for this collection as city men nowadays no longer fear to take an appointment at a nail bar, talk about their hairstyles, or go to a spa for a facial.

Gaultier has brought back big hair among the trends, and big lambchops on the cheeks for men, with a marked preference for red-haired models to match the main colour of the garments in the show.

Odile Gilbert, the faithful famous hairdresser, and Tom Pécheux, the make-up artist, walked the runway very glamorously together, before the finale, at the end of which Jean-Paul Gaultier himself took the bow in a medium length blonde wig, hairspraying the front row happily.

Gaultier is giving to retailers worldwide a real chance to adopt this creative line that has a good commercial potential… a chance also to adapt their merchandising to this metrosexual behaviour for men and women alike: as societies and mentalities are evolving in the global village, shops that won’t make room for this kind of reasonable inventive opportunity might soon look outdated.

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