Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture F/W 2000.01 Paris

[Lola701]

^ Oh I've certainly come around to the Chanel collection, and the set that is Fall and Spring 1999 couture with Fall and Spring 2000 couture is rather marvelous. So experimental, playful, and joyously weird as if Karl discovered something new in himself. Versace was also fabulous and direct, but when looking at the rest of the season yeah it was odd. Excitably odd because new things were happening and the designers were unsure, but still had a lot of confidence to just get on with it. Plus, Chanel was holding a show at the Piscine Keller (still can't get over this; again, in a good way).

It’s funny that you said « As if Karl discovered something new in himself » because that era coincide with his taxes issues and in 1999, his taxes issues became somehow part of a political affair in France (he was innocent after everything). In 2000 he sold all his 18th stuff and started that diet.
So that sort of « exhuberance » was probably due to that turbulence and transition in his personal life.
Even his work at Fendi! All the 1999/2000 collections were very wild, colorful, excessive.

I mean, when Jacques De Bascher died in 1989, his work was excessively flamboyant, very colorful but then he gained weight.

After his diet, his work had some sort of constant evolution. It was more focused, more graphic and the influence of Hedi’s work in his own personal style was reflected in his work.

Completely agree. Gaultier's Hermes is untouchable, for me.

There’s always this talk about the old guard of Couturier who lived the lifestyle of their clients and who had propositions that felt relevant no matter what (Valentino and Karl). I think that Gaultier had that at Hermes because his Haute Couture clients were for the most part the same women in front row at his Hermes shows.
The irony is that his own RTW started to decline at that time.

Even his most ridiculous propositions at Hermes (the cowboy inspired collection) have kept that kind of timeless, tongue and cheek appeal.

He used to do those alligator blazers and coats. If I was rich, I would have purchased one! Out of the world!

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Such a shame the Hermes menswear is so stubbornly locked tightly in its very conservative reservation— even back in the 2000s golden era when creative vision flourished so liberally. Because, Gaultier for Hermes menswear would have been supreme and next-level gorgeous couturey bespok luxury for men. His creative versatility only matched by his understanding and master of disciplined tailoring would have send Hermes menswear to a whole other plane. I’d always imagined that Gaultier’s Hermes men’s would be somewhat like Haider’s menswear, just with more outrageously, decadently, and simply sublime luxe tropes, like the crocodile coats and jackets for days.

(…I still regret to this day I never snatched up this leather fencing jacket in the perfect shade of camel/butterscotch from the early-2000s Gaultier…)