PFW: Jean Paul Gaultier S/S 2015 the end of an era

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 I’ve have been a huge fan of Jean Paul Gaultier for years. He has dressed American royalty such as Madonna and Beyonce. He is the darling of Paris fashion outside the box. So when Krytin told me via text that an invitation had come in the mail for me for Jean Paul Gaultier, I almost peed my pants. Word had already began to spread like wildfire that he would no longer be producing a ready-to-wear collection and forging on with just his haute couture line. It seems that was mostly his bread and butter and what we loved most from him all along.

 When I got to my rented Parisian abode the first thing I did was leaf quickly through my invites and rip open my invite for the Jean Paul Gaultier show. I was a bit perplexed as I pulled out a long red, white and blue sash with and address on it and the words Miss Jean Paul Gaultier. I knew the show would be taking place at the famed La Grand Rex Theater in Paris, known for it’s art deco style and with its main auditorium so large it’s the biggest in Europe. The night of the show came and I was more than ready. Arriving at the theater the scene was grand indeed. There were throngs and throngs of people clamoring near the highly lit theater. There were photographers everywhere spilling into traffic. Every where you turned there was a famous photographer or editor or designer. Some of the celebrities included Alexander Wang and Boy George.

Entering the theatre you are hit by the red velvet and the intense smell of popcorn with the lovely attendees in black and white striped tops to guide you to your destination. The seats were plush and the lights in the theatre where bright. And suddenly everyone was quiet and the thick velvet curtains were lifted from the stage and the crowd erupted into cheers. You could sense that this was going to be a show, not just a fashion show, but that you were about to be thoroughly entertained, which we all were. Everyone was on the edge of their seat.  The show turned out to be a Pageant of a Miss America Spinoff, but for a Miss Jean Paul Gaultier. (Now the sash invitation all made sense!).  The host came out and gave us the rundown and the show started with 9 different sections representing a different Miss each time such as Miss Tour de France, Miss Femme de Footballer and Miss Vintage (which included lovely older ladies with style and poise).

The show kicked off with the girls dancing a number together with big blond hair and high heels to music by Prince, that faded into Ru Paul’s Covergirl and the models paid homage to the 80s and walked and vogued down the runway. Another of my favorite parts was when JPG paid homage to the editors and fashion folk who’ve supported him by sending models down the runway resembling them. The models where lookalikes for likes of Grace Coddington, Emmanuel Alt, Carine Roitfeld and Suzi Menkes (who I actually spotted outside after the show).

This really was a show to remember and more about celebrating the entirety of the ready to wear lines than actually focusing all the attention on the one being presented. Coco Rocha ended up wining the competition and promptly fainted and was lifted by JPG himself. The cannons then burst with gold confetti and gold flecks flew everywhere. Once again the crowd erupted in cheers and claps and it seemed no one was ready to leave. Jean Paul Gaultier definitely went out with a bang!

xx

Monroe