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Defiantly Urban Jean Paul Gaultier Pays Homage to Prince
By Dana Thomas
Photos by Gruber-FWD
Click on image to see bigger photo.
Paris, Mar 14, 2001/ FWD/ --- Jean Paul Gaultier got downright Prince-ly at the Louvre
last night, sending out a Fall/Winter 2001 collection in homage to the Purple One.
With the opening pair of plum lace deconstructed suits to the little bouquets of violets the
models carried or wore as they marched to a mix of Prince hits, the theme was clear.
The collection, though, was a little less focused, flying this way and that, with a zillion
different pieces and textures piled on the models like kids playing dress up.
There were sequin-embroidered cardigans on top of cashmere crewnecks, on top of turtlenecks
over leggings covered with stretch skirts, mufflers encasing calves and forearms, and long
gloves smooshed down to the wrists - all on one girl!
But the strongest statement in the collection was the slicing up of clothes.
It was as if Gaultier took his smart haute couture daywear and attacked it with a razor.
A Saint Laurent-style smoking was hacked neatly across the middle, making the top of the
jacket a bolero and the bottom a bustier-miniskirt.
This worn over pants slashed mid-thigh then reattached with suspenders to
create a sort of garter-belt suit.
The effect was drop-dead sexy.
Gaultier did the same with trenches, slicing them across the bust to make a spencer and strapless
dress.
Pinstripe suits became cropped jackets with the bottom half of the blazer a miniskirt worn
over straight men's trousers.
And Gaultier cut apart motorcycle jackets so the arms were like
handless gloves, the bodices vests.
The leather had a rough, used patina, adding an extra dash
of volume and character to an already interesting, defiantly urban silhouette.
The point of all of this, Gaultier told FWD, was "to be free with your clothes. You can do
whatever you want with them."
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