Consider this past Wednesday, the unveiling of the indomitable Haider Ackermann x Jean Paul Gaultier Couture collaboration, fashion’s own Superbowl. Since Gaultier’s final couture blowout in February 2020, the enfant terrible has employed a rotating system of iconic designers to take a seat at the house’s table, revisiting and reinventing some of his most beloved designs. Enter, Ackermann’s interpretation of the brand for the 2023 couture season — it’s the fourth installment of the series, succeeding Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, Glenn Martens of Y/Project and Diesel, and Chitose Abe of Sacai. Each show has proven successful since the start of this experiment, with many regarding this style of collaboration as one that promotes an organic home for joyful creativity, a touch commercially driven logo-on-logo drop collaborations often lack.
A feat to be witnessed by the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Tilda Swinton, and Baz Luhrman in the crowd, Ackermann’s creative spin on classic Gaultier did not disappoint — So much so that fans were making red carpet pull predictions before the show was even over. What shined about Ackermann’s take on Gaultier was the designer’s simple, yet beautiful editing. With a non-distracting, subdued set, and subtle music, it was Ackermann’s impeccable tailoring and signature color-blocking that commanded attention, with just 36 looks.
One highlight of the collaboration was the flawless merging of both Ackermann’s and Gaultier’s house codes, wherein the former’s loved design quirks melded seamlessly with the latter’s history of emphasis on suiting and corsetry. Each look, whether it was a barely-there ribboned gown, or a ‘60s-inspired amorphous violet dress, expressed a modern, formally independent woman. These designs represent two sides of the same coin by demonstrating the razor sharp edges of a woman’s sexual expression in her own terms, without fetishization. The integrity of this expression offered a refreshing pause to the over-stylized Y2K looks that have dominated the runways, and our social media feeds, for nearly two years now.
Ackermann also made sure to pay tribute to some of Gaultier’s more “pop” designs, with model Amelia Gray making her couture runway debut donning a metallic JPG Liberte top and cape, accented by a citrus green lining. Another standout piece, one that remained true to Gaultier’s affinity for subversion and forced design perspective, was a lavender tracksuit covered in a metallic material almost made to mimic fur — the fluffy-appearing attributes were, in fact, individual metal pins that used light refraction to create the illusion of soft movement on the runway. Many arm-chair critics noted Chalamet’s joyous reaction to this look (the actor has proven an affinity for track pants), and added it to a running list of predictions of the star’s future red carpet looks.
If there were any questions as to how Gaultier himself received the collection, one simply had to scan the audience during its live stream to see the designer’s beaming expression as each piece hit the runway. There is something incredibly endearing and deferential in seeing Gaultier relinquish the reins and observe his own house from the seated audience. Too often, egos and commercialism disrupt creation, and the respect paid between Ackermann and Gaultier, demonstrated as the pair joined hands on the runway at the show’s close, is a model of collaboration to admire. Even as the fast-paced industry looks forward to the next Jean Paul Gaultier couture collaborator announcement, this uniting is one that will be remembered fondly for quite some time.
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