PARIS, Mar 1, 2005/ FW/ --- Give it to Jean Paul Gaultier to converge two dissimilar periods of popular culture, Shakespeare and punk rock to come out with poetic silhouettes that every beautiful girl from here to the end of the world would like to wear next fall.

Tonight at his headquarters at rue St. Martin, the reigning king of French fashion once again showed his design genius and ingenuity by sending models wearing Elizabethan period inspired collars on modern trench coats and still make it work!

With punk rock music playing on the background and the models with teased hair, the 1970s was very much present. The military inspired capes and jackets were not from the French navy, rather, they are from John, Paul, George & Ringo’s ‘Magical Mystery Tour,’ except that you can’t hear the Fab Four singing at all.

It’s a little from here, it’s a little from there, and a little from everywhere. In fact, it was a mishmash of things, goulash if I may add. Even Dr. Seuss made an appearance when a model came out wearing a fur top hat. Yet, everything came out beautiful, even mesmerizing.

Like what Gaultier said once about his bread exhibit, that he feels that he is a baker at times, being a fashion designer. Tonight, he was a master of his craft with this collection, with all the secret ingredients, kneading the dough in front of your eyes and when the bread is baked, you can’t believe that it was just flour a few moments ago. It’s magic!

Tight fitting pants in python skin, fully sequined in red, black, silver and royal blue and leather jodhpurs with big wide belts were interspersed with Draculian capes in fur and tube dresses in velvet.

The coup de grace, Gemma Ward in a floor-length skirt drooping with Swarovski crystals, her top is a tier of ruffles, the skirt held by a cummerbund. She was the tempest come alive. And once again, we were back to Shakespeare.

And like the Beatles song, it was a magical mystery tour, something we did not want to end. But it did, and all we could do was give Jean Paul Gaultier a resounding applause when he took his bow, although we wanted to say, “More… more… more!!!”

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier