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Jean Paul Gaultier

French, b. 1952

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, the wildly provocative French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier has created transformational clothing designs 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. His playful but exquisitely crafted reimaginings of classic Parisian styles — the striped mariner shirt, the trench coat — soon became recurring themes of Gaultier’s 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, debuting his first couture collection in 1997 and creating 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).

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. He 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.

Browse a wide range of Jean Paul Gaultier clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$971
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Hard to let go of this incredible piece by Jean Paul Gaultier from the Spring 1994 ready to wear show. Featured many times and even re edited by the JPG house, fits like a glove ever...
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1990s Jean Paul Gaultier

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1990s Italian Jean Paul Gaultier

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Iconic 1992 Jean Paul Gaultier Dominatrix Vinyl Skin Corset Zipper Bodycon Dress in black with lace up back. A true collector's piece. No size label but would fit small to medium. T...
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1990s Italian Jean Paul Gaultier

Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier 56 0174 Round Grey Lens 1990's Sunglasses Japan
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1990s Japanese Jean Paul Gaultier

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1990s Jean Paul Gaultier

A Jean Paul Gaultier Zipped Jacket for Gibo Circa 2010
By Jean Paul Gaultier
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Circa 2010 France A Jean Paul Gaultier zipped jacket, as new, for Gibo from the 2010s. Very fine and very tight wool and silk gabardine with grisaille patterns in rainbow in the sha...
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2010s French Jean Paul Gaultier

  •  A Jean Paul Gaultier Zipped Jacket for Gibo Circa 2010
  •  A Jean Paul Gaultier Zipped Jacket for Gibo Circa 2010
  •  A Jean Paul Gaultier Zipped Jacket for Gibo Circa 2010
  •  A Jean Paul Gaultier Zipped Jacket for Gibo Circa 2010
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Size: Equivalent French Size 38
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20th Century European Jean Paul Gaultier

Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Trompe L'Oeil Sheer Tuxedo Print Mesh Maxi Dress
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Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Trompe L'Oeil Sheer Tuxedo Print Mesh Maxi Dress Measurements taken laid flat, please double bust, waist and hips: Shoulder: 13.77 inches (35 cm) not stre...
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1990s French Jean Paul Gaultier

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Jean Paul Gaultier fashion for sale on 1stDibs.

Find an extraordinary range of authentic Jean Paul Gaultier fashion available on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing our collection of unique vintage and designer fashion to elevate your daily look or to introduce new colors to the dazzling formal wear in your wardrobe, this designer’s body of work includes elements of red, purple, blue and other tones. Most of the items here were designed during the 20th Century, but you can find examples that were created as recently as the 21st Century and Contemporary. Customers who are interested in this designer might also find the work of Azzedine Alaïa, Roberto Cavalli, and Tom Ford for Gucci appealing. On 1stDibs, find haute couture, vintage and designer Jean Paul Gaultier fashion from top boutiques around the world. Jean Paul Gaultier fashion prices can differ depending upon time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at £82 and tops out at £24,189, while the average work can sell for £771.
Questions About Jean Paul Gaultier
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Cannot find an answer
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    To assess the authenticity of a Jean Paul Gaultier, look for the black tag that features the logo stitched in a typewriter font. If you are buying a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier item, be sure you are buying from a reputable source. Save the stress and shop a collection of properly vetted vintage and new Jean Paul Gaultier designs from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Jean-Paul Riopelle did Abstract Expressionist artwork, producing both paintings and sculptures over the course of his career. Some of his most famous pieces include Pavane, Forestine, Landing and Perspectives. On 1stDibs, you can shop a selection of Jean-Paul Riopelle art.

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