Jean Paul Gaultier showed tattooed leather and classic pinstripe Saturday for a signature look that was all Parisian elegance with a subversive touch, midway through the Paris runway shows for spring 2012.
Pinstriped suit jackets left the back nude, one simply wrapping around the neck like a scarf on bare shoulders, above a fully tailored front complete with square pockets.
Underneath, corset-like wide belts cinched the waistline above full-length Bohemian skirts in white cotton, or nude jersey sheaths.
Nude calf skin jackets were scored with Asian-inspired navy blue tattoo patterns, while human tattoos — real ones on the skin of female performers, painted ones on Gaultier’s models — added a touch of edginess to the affair.
Spectacular earrings injected a punk-rock feel, while bright orange pieces wrapped flawlessly around the body offered a softer take on femininity.
High sandals and pumps displayed a silver-tipped Japanese heel, helping the models walk the runway like Hollywood Lolitas.
“It’s 100-percent Gaultier,” the designer told reporters backstage.
“What do I do best? I revisit what I have done before, but with a twist.”
Gaultier said he wanted to show his clothes “in a more human setting” than the classic runway, where girls “under spotlights walk by staring into thin air.”
The goings-on above head, he said, were not an act: “that’s what normally happens except we tried to make less noise, normally there’s a lot of shouting.”
