Jean Paul Gaultier set his show in a steamy hammam, with bare-chested models for a backdrop. We were in Marrakech, with Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux look-alikes parading down the runway in a sheer djellaba and a black version of YSL's famous lace-up safari tunic, respectively.
Gaultier has always been at home in the souk, and ethnic inspirations find their way into his collection almost every season, be it through color, drape, or pattern. For Spring, he's focused on volumes: a long tunic worn with a suit, a patterned jacket with matching shorts, or a sleeveless caftan paired with a shirt and tie.
It was all quite elegant, of course, and also a bit subdued for JPG. Spice came in the form of surprises like Jackson Pollock-style white splatter painting on black trousers, tunics, and matching tote bags, and, at the end, the celestial prints that came alive when seen through 3-D glasses. The bespectacled Saint Laurent would've approved.
