Review of Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2023 Couture Fashion Show
Dossena Does Gaultier
By Mark Wittmer
As he’s proven during the course of his ten-year tenure as creative director of Paco Rabanne, Julien Dossena has a keen understanding of how to work with an archive without simply copy pasting, but understands the subtleties of a great designers work that allows him to build exciting new directions out of these foundations.
This talent makes him a perfect choice for the latest chapter of Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture series of rotating designers, and his intricately detailed reimagining of classics and deep cuts certainly delivered.
The most obvious references to the Gaultier legacy come as luxuriously layered and ornamented riffs on brand staples: cone bras, the pinstripe suit, which is made powerful and peplum-ified, the blue and white marinière stripes as a fuzzy sweater, and the naked dress, now reconfigured as a sheer slip worn over a second-skin bodysuit complete with sailor tattoos and sequined pubic hair – very smart.
Deeper cuts include references to Gaultier’s costume design for The Fifth Element and the dragon corset from Gaultier’s very first haute couture collection in 1997.
While the categories and names of pieces may be JPG’s, the collection has Dossena’s handwriting all over it – influenced of course by his many years as a student of Paco Rabanne. Liquid metallics and chainmail make a number of appearances. The elaborate ornamentation, often making use of silver and gold, feels both historic and futuristic. Each look explodes with detail, with a carefully chosen layering of fabrics creating lush textural interplays.
Aside from giving us some truly exciting fashion among the somewhat stuffy nature of couture week, what has been so exciting about JPG’s guest couture designer program is the way in which each collection feels totally different despite working with the same source material. It’s a testament to both Gaultier’s enduring impact and the strength of these well-chosen individual designers that they can have such dramatically different yet powerful takes. (As a side note, these collections also almsot serve as personal ads and resume builders – heritage houses, take note of how well these designers work from an archival brand identity.)
Offering up a distinct perspective on an iconic archive, Dossena’s collection forms another great chapter in what continues to be an awesome ongoing fashion project.
