Surprising to many, but realistic to the designer himself and his majority stakeholders, the Spanish fashion group Puig.
The French fashion house Jean Paul Gaultier has confirmed to WWD that it will stop making ready-to-wear clothes for both men and women. And instead concentrate on exclusive “haute couture” and its perfume lines.
“After more than 38 years spent producing men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, it seems to us that the time has come to stop some of our activities and to concentrate principally on the development of the haute couture, of perfumes and to certain collaborations that I have not yet had time to explore,” he commented to WWD. “This is a new beginning, I will be able to express again my creativity fully and without constraints.”
Jean Paul Gaultier launched his line in the early ‘80s and later on Puig bought control of the firm in 2011 from Hermes.
“We looked at various possibilities considering the present state of the company and we have reached the same conclusion,” the designer said to WWD. “For some time, I have found true fulfillment in working on the haute couture and it allows me to express my creativity and my taste for research and experimentation. At the same time the world of ready-to-wear has evolved considerably. Commercial constraints, as well as the frenetic pace of collections don’t leave any freedom, nor the necessary time to find fresh ideas and to innovate.”
His last ready-to-wear women’s collection will go ahead as planned on Saturday September 27 at Paris Fashion Week.
