The invitation was the first clue we were in for a global melting pot at Jean Paul Gaultier: It pictured a mixed-up map of the world, with Mexico next to Togo, Morocco abutting India, Russia and Greece side by side, and so on. And the runway certainly delivered. From top to bottom his favorite model, Coco Rocha, wore an African-print turban, a peacoat with a silk chinoiserie lining to match her narrow skirt, neon green tights, and brick red cowboy boots. And Coco got off easy. Another model sported a babushka, a Masai necklace, a leather motorcycle jacket, a Mexican-blanket skirt, checked harem pants, yellow stockings, red tennis socks, and green platform sandals.
It was absolutely as over-the-top as it sounds, and the message, if there really was one, was somewhat obscured by the fact that Gaultier is always working some sort of wacky theme. But the general gist—that the world is flat, and how we dress now is an ever-changing series of mash-ups—was pretty spot-on.
Subtract the gimmicky shoes and the costumey hats and, as usual, there were some fantastic clothes here. The expertly cut Gaultier trench showed up in many different guises: shrunken and cropped at the hip, cutaway at the thighs in front and trailing a long hem, or in black with a kimono-silk lining. At one end of the colorful spectrum was a louche smoking jacket, and, at the other, cozy-chic knits and some casually luxe furs. The protesters gathered in force outside would've booed loudly at the fur-trimmed backpack Gaultier borrowed from Sasha Pivovarova for his photo op. On the three-cheers side: He deserves props for the most diverse casting of Paris fashion week.
