High fashion clothing and accessories by Jean Paul Gaultier, France

Jean Paul Gaultier is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corsets, marinières, and tin cans. He was born on April 24, 1952, in Arcueil, France. His mother was a clerk and his father an accountant. It was his maternal grandmother, Marie Garrabe, who introduced him to the world of fashion. He never received formal training as a designer. Instead, he began to send sketches to famous couture stylists at an early age. Pierre Cardin was impressed by his talent and hired him as an assistant in 1970. Then he worked with Jacques Esterel in 1971 and Jean Patou later that year again worked for Cardin managing the Pierre Cardin boutique in Manila for a year until 1974.

Gaultier launched his first collection of women's more... ready-to-wear clothing in 1976. His designs were immediately noticed for their originality and humor. He often used unconventional materials and silhouettes, and he challenged traditional notions of beauty and gender. Gaultier's designs were also known for their references to popular culture and history.

In 1982, Gaultier founded his own fashion label. He quickly became one of the most successful designers in the world. His designs were worn by celebrities such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and Rihanna. Gaultier also collaborated with musicians, such as David Bowie and Grace Jones. Gaultier launched his first fragrance, Classique in 1993. The fragrance was an instant success and became one of the best-selling perfumes in the world. Gaultier has since launched a number of other successful fragrances, including Le Mâle, Scandal, and 212 VIP.

In 2003, Gaultier was appointed creative director of French luxury house Hermès. He remained in this role until 2010. During his time at Hermès, Gaultier brought a new sense of modernity to the brand's designs. In 2014, Gaultier announced that he would be retiring from ready-to-wear fashion. He said that he wanted to focus on his couture line and his other creative projects. Gaultier's final ready-to-wear collection was shown in Paris in January 2015.

Gaultier has continued to be active in the fashion industry since his retirement from ready-to-wear. He has continued to design couture collections, and he has also launched a number of new projects, such as a line of home goods and a museum exhibition of his work. less...