PARIS, Oct 4, 2005/ FW/ --- Building on top of his Slavic-inspired silhouettes that he presented last July during the haute couture season, Jean Paul Gaultier once again turned to Ukraine for his pręt-a-porter inspiration, then added Italy in the mix making it a gypsy-like journey from one country to the next.

On a runway filled with hay, it set the stage for the peasant blouses and floral printed maiden dresses that was both sweet and sophisticated as Gaultier added the French maiden into the mix with her colored hose and ribbons on her hair.

Jumper shorts in the style of the Spanish conquistador uniform and the sleeves hanging sensually off the shoulder or Capri-length trousers paired with a jumper top functioning as a vest, Jean Paul Gaultier mixed structured looks with fluid shapes.

Blouson dresses were created with open seam work, and oversized stitching became an accent, a seeming convergence of couture and pręt-a-porter.

Still, that was not Jean Paul Gaultier’s biggest surprise – it was children on the runway! One male model, one female, a little boy and a little girl – a family in short.

Though this is not the first time that he has put kids on the runway, is the French couturier trying to tell his audience something with this repetition – that a children’s line is not far off on the horizon?

Then, the Italian influence came, as the black widow wearing tailored suit dresses intermixed with the ethnic Slavic looks.

The biggest surprise for all was the finale, a plus-size model wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier gown. Is this another message from the Paris-based designer?

It is no secret that in the U.S., plus sized clothing is one of the fastest growing segments of the fashion industry. Established houses in the U.S. like Tommy Hilfiger had been catering to it for several years now. But no French fashion house has ever delved into this market.

If Jean Paul Gaultier decides to accommodate this market, he will be making history once again, as he had done before with being the first Paris-based designer to fully utilize the power of the Internet.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier