Of Stripes And Tattoos

With almost 40 years on conquering the fashion front, from Madonna’s conical bra to changing the stereotyped definition of gender and beauty; French fashion’s enfant terrible, Jean Paul Gaultier talks exclusively to L’Officiel India about pushing boundaries in the fashion industry and being solely committed to haute couture.

A French kid, son to a bookkeeper and a cashier, had no technical training, how did you come about choosing fashion?

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I have the cinema to thank for helping me choose my vocation. When I was about 10 years old I had seen the film “Falbalas” by Jacques Becker with my grandmother. There was a fashion show in the film and I knew immediately that it was what I wanted to do; become a couturier and stage fashion shows.

You bagged your first big break at the age of 18 with Pierre Cardin. Describe that feeling.

I was so scared when my mother told me that I got a call from Pierre Cardin’s office on the day of my 18th birthday that I asked her to come to the appointment with me. Mr. Cardin taught me about freedom and also that everything was possible. He is over 90 and still works, I think that it is amazing.

What inspired your first collection at Grand Palais's Palais de la Découverte in 1976?

I kind of jumped before I learned how to swim. That collection was a disaster but almost 40 years later I was in Grand Palais, on the other side of the Palais de la Decouverte with the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition.

I did that collection with what I had. I brought some place mats from the Philippines and made boleros and skirts with it, I combined a dancer’s tutu with a biker jacket. The beginnings of my codes were there.

Describe the feeling while you were backstage at your first ever show.

Well, the music was starting and the girls weren’t dressed yet so… it was probably panic.

What had inspired you to challenge the notion of gender stereotypes?

I always thought that women were intelligent and that men could be vulnerable… So the French expression “Sois belle et tais toi” (be pretty and shut up) was something that I could never understand and that I fought against throughout my career.

Why the obsession with the punk subculture and tattooed models?

I always thought that there is not one kind of beauty but many types, so I have been inspired and wanted to show different types of beauty. Punk has been very inspiring in my youth and I still love the attitude to question the establishment.

You have been in this industry for 40 years now, how do you think the industry has changed from the time you started to now?

It has changed enormously, there were no big groups when I started and the magazines had more freedom, everyone had more freedom to create. Now, marketing is king.

What inspired you to create the iconic cone-bra worn by Madonna for her Blond Ambition tour in the 90s?

Madonna was already wearing my clothes when she approached me to do the costumes for her tour. So she knew exactly what she wanted from me but at the same time left me complete freedom. It was the complete synergy.

How important is the architectural silhouette of a garment to you?

The construction is very important, I sometimes have to do 10 fittings for a dress or for a suit until I am satisfied and the silhouette is good.

What do you look at for inspirations when you start with your new collections?

I usually have an idea already, for the moment I am preparing my spring summer couture collection but I know what I want to do for fall winter. Inspiration can come from anywhere – a film or a play or travel or just something that I have seen in the street.

You launched your perfume Le Male in 1995 and is still running as the #1 perfume in Europe. How does that make you feel?

Flattered and happy that the public still loves the scent and the concept.

What inspired your first haute couture collection in 1997?

I have been offered to design for Givenchy by Mr. Arnault, but I decided instead to launch my own couture line. I thought of doing just one show but little by little I started selling, the client list grew and almost 20 years later I am still doing it.

You recently announced that you would be no longer showcasing RTW and menswear collections, but only Haute Couture. Why so?

I can still create and experiment with my haute couture but the world of ready to wear has changed. There are too many collections and too little time to think and create. After almost 40 years it was time to leave my place to younger generations.

5 words to describe your haute couture 2015/16 collection?

Paris – Brest, a girl from Brittany arrives in Paris.

Have you visited India?

Yes I have visited India many times, first time when I was barely 20 years old. I love your country. I love the Indian traditional dress and have been inspired many times by it. I would love to show my couture in India.

If you could dress one Bollywood beauty in your garments, who would it be?

There are so many beautiful Indian stars that I really couldn’t choose. I have dressed some of them already like Sonam Kapoor.

What is the one fact that no one would have never guessed about you?

That I am very shy.

What advice would you give to current aspiring fashion students around the world?

You have to be passionate about what you do otherwise it is not worth it.