Jean-Paul Baret Photography

Jean Paul Gaultier was born on April 24, 1952 in a suburb of Paris. He is known as the ‘enfant-terrible’ of the fashion world, whose designs celebrated androgyny. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Jean Paul Gaultier pieces from some of the world’s top sellers.

If you want to properly pronounce Jean Paul Gaultier, it should sound like ”zhaan-paal-gaal-tee-ay”. Gaultier himself originates from a suburb of Paris, France. You can shop iconic vintage and contemporary Jean Paul Gaultier fashions from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.

Yes, Jean Paul Gaultier is French. He was born in Arcueil, a suburb of Paris, in 1952. He 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. Gaultier founded his luxury fashion house in 1982 and unveiled his first collection in 1984. On 1stDibs, find a diverse assortment of Jean Paul Gaultier apparel and accessories.

Yes, Jean Paul Gaultier is a real person. He is a fashion designer who 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. Gaultier began his career in 1970 as an assistant to Pierre 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. In addition to designing under his own label, he created costumes for film and stage. He 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). Gaultier presented his last couture show in 2020, ending his boundary-pushing, industry-shaping reign with a raucous presentation of more than 230 outfits formed from fragments of collections from across his 50-year career. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Jean Paul Gaultier apparel and accessories.

The Jean Paul Gaultier brand is more than 40 years old. Founder Jean Paul Gaultier established the fashion house in 1982 with the help of his life partner and business associate, Francis Menuge. However, Gaultier's work as a designer began early, as he held his first fashion show in 1974. Explore a selection of Jean Paul Gaultier apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.