Jean Paul Gaultier

Biography

Jean Paul Gaultier (born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs including corsets, marinières, and tin cans. Gaultier founded his eponymous fashion label in 1982 and expanded with a line of fragrances in 1993. 

He was the creative director for French luxury house Hermès from 2003 to 2010 and retired following his 50th-anniversary haute couture show during Paris Fashion Week in January 2020.

Aside from his work in the fashion industry, Gaultier co-presented the first seven series of the television series Eurotrash with Antoine de Caunes from 1993–1997.

In 1998, Jean Paul Gaultier's company generated €12.9 million ($13.2 million) in sales. In 1999, Hermès acquired 35% of Gaultier's label for 150 million francs ($23 million). Jean-Paul Gaultier owned 93% of his company before this deal. In 2002, Gaultier's label opened its first fully-fledged stand-alone store. 

Then, from 2003 to 2010, Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès where he succeeded Martin Margiela. Hermès later increased its stake in Jean Paul Gaultier to 45%. By 2008, 40 Jean Paul Gaultier stores opened worldwide.

In 2018, he staged a cabaret show that was loosely based on his life called "Fashion Freak Show" which took place at the Folies Bergere theater in Paris. In 2019, Gaultier collaborated with the New York streetwear brand Supreme.

He announced on 17 January 2020 that his next Paris haute fashion show would be his last and that he was retiring from the runway.

Starting in 1993, he co-hosted the Channel 4 program Eurotrash with Antoine de Caunes. Gaultier hosted the show until 1997.

In 2012, he was named as a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This was the first time a fashion designer was called to sit on a jury at the festival.

In 2022, he appeared with Iris Mittenaere as a guest judge on Drag Race France.