Jean Paul Gaultier Black Raw-Edge Pleated Leather Mini Wrap Skirt, fw 2003
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT40 - FR36 - UK8 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140220496622
Jean Paul Gaultier
Endeavoring to tear down gender stereotypes and sartorial norms on the catwalk, making underwear outerwear, putting men in skirts and models of all shapes and sizes on the runway, Jean Paul Gaultier has created wildly provocative, transformational designs for day dresses, gowns, tops and other garments that draw on numerous influences and boldly merge haute couture with street sensibility.
An only child raised in the suburbs of Paris, Gaultier didn’t have a formal fashion education. But he loved to sketch and was drawn to clothing, citing the corsets in his maternal grandmother’s closet as having a formative impact on his creative direction. He’s said that some of his earliest fashion work was for his teddy bear, and later he would send his sketches to designers he revered, including Pierre Cardin.
Gaultier began his career in 1970 as an assistant to Cardin, who admired the sketches the 18-year-old had sent for his appraisal. After Gaultier had his first runway show in 1976, featuring unconventional statements like pairing motorcycle jackets with ballerina skirts, it didn’t take long for his star to rise.
Gaultier's playful but exquisitely crafted reimaginings of classic Parisian styles — the striped mariner shirt, the trench coat — soon became recurring themes of his eponymous house, which he founded with his life partner and business associate Francis Menuge in 1982.
“He was absolutely peerless for the longest time in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” fashion editor Tim Blanks told the New York Times. This was the period of Gaultier’s most iconic designs.
In 1984, Gaultier’s “Boy Toy” collection challenged men’s fashion with striped shirts and skirts — and sold around 3,000 of them. He was hailed for spectacle-laden runway shows and superb tailoring. Gaultier began to work with Madonna during the late 1980s, and, at the pop star’s request, he designed the costumes for her 1990 “Blond Ambition” tour. Her pink corset became a cultural touchstone of the era.
Gaultier continued to expand his brand. There were the colorful all-over graphic prints in the sheer stretch-tulle fabric of his Soleil line — which have gained fans in millennials seeking the authentic, easy style of 1990s fashion — and he debuted his first couture collection in 1997. Gaultier created costumes for film and stage and was nominated for a César Award for Best Costume Design for The City of Lost Children (1995) and then a second for Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element (1997).
From 2003 to 2010, Gaultier was the creative director for Hermès. The first international exhibition of his work, “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk,” debuted in 2011 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and toured to cities including Stockholm, New York City, Dallas and London. Vintage Gaultier Birkin bags are unsurprisingly sought-after collectibles, and the So Black collection — a line that included the So Black Birkin, which featured black PVD-coated hardware — was among his last works for the brand before his departure.
Gaultier presented his last ready-to-wear collection in 2014 and in 2020 stepped down from his couture line, ending his boundary-pushing, industry-shaping reign with a raucous show of more than 230 outfits formed from fragments of collections from across his 50-year career.
One of fashion’s enfants terribles, Gaultier has never sought out pretty for pretty’s sake. Instead, he has challenged the traditional ideals of beauty. Today, the designer's vintage clothing designs — experimental undergarments cut from lace and suede, leather-trimmed evening dresses and jackets of denim, plastic or striped jersey — are as punk as they are high fashion.
Find vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dresses, skirts, jeans and accessories today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford brown leather woven fringed skirt, fw 2001By Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in London, GB▪ Yves Saint Laurent runway skirt ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Constructed from dark brown suede ▪ Abstract pattern made up with a multitude of woven laces ▪ Long fringe trim ▪ Atta...Category
Early 2000s Italian Skirts
- Dolce & Gabbana mint organza bustle skirt with ruffle trim, c. 1980sBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana mint organza bustle skirt with ruffle trim c. 1980sCategory
1980s Italian Skirts
- Gianni Versace blue Oroton chainmail draped evening mini skirt, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace metallic blue Oroton chainmail draped evening mini skirt. Fall-Winter 1994Category
1990s Italian Skirts
- Gianni Versace printed silk organza peplum evening skirt, ss 1992By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace printed silk organza peplum evening skirt with lace up bows and pleated underskirt for added volume. Spring-Summer 1992 Image 2 ...Category
1990s Italian Skirts
- Gianni Versace black leather gold buckled skirt with animal print, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace black leather pencil skirt with multiple signature gold buckles on each side. Animal print at the front. Fall-Winter 1994Category
1990s Italian Skirts
- Vivienne Westwood red tartan wool pleated skirt with bustle, fw 1988By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood red tartan wool pleated skirt. Inside are the four original safety pin attached padded balls which were used in the show...Category
1990s British Skirts
- Black knit pencil skirt with cut-work AlaïaBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlack knit pencil skirt with cut-work. Knit composition: 90% wool, 5% stretch, 5% nylon. SIZE S on tag but fit MCategory
1990s Italian Skirts
- Lycra mini -skirt with bamboo and orchid print LéonardBy LeonardLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRLycra mini -skirt with bamboo and orchid. Fabric composition: 80% nylon, 20% lycra SIZE 40 / LCategory
2010s Unknown Skirts
- Sonia Rykiel Black Silk Blend Front Bow Detail Skirt LBy Sonia RykielLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Flaunt this classy and cotemporary Sonia Rykiel skirt which is just what you need to be at the top of your style and comfort zone. Make an outstanding statement by adorning this blac...Category
2010s Skirts
- 1970S Burgundy & Dusty Pink Cotton Ditsy Floral Print Mix SkirtLocated in New York, NY1970S Burgundy & Dusty Pink Cotton Ditsy Floral Print Mix SkirtCategory
1970s A-Line Skirts
- 1960S Lilly Pulitzer Light Pink & Green Cotton Floral Lace Trim SkirtBy Lilly PulitzerLocated in New York, NY1960S Lilly Pulitzer Light Pink & Green Cotton Floral Lace Trim SkirtCategory
1960s A-Line Skirts
- 1990S Black Draped Poly Blend Jersey Asymmetrical SkirtLocated in New York, NY1990S Black Draped Poly Blend Jersey Asymmetrical SkirtCategory
1990s A-Line Skirts
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
You Saw It at the Met Ball. Here’s What Camp Fashion Is Really About
This year's Costume Institute exhibition is all about embracing the eccentric.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.