Jean Paul Gaultier 2026 Haute Couture Crashes Versailles into the Future
Duran Lantink’s couture debut for Jean Paul Gaultier combined Marie Antoinette opulence with 3D-printed body modification
If you thought the blistering Paris sun was the only thing making the fashion crowd dizzy this week, Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest show proved that clothing can alter your equilibrium entirely. For his haute couture debut at the house, Dutch designer Duran Lantink took the sweltering atmosphere of the venue and turned it into an alternate universe.
The models began to stalk the catwalk, their hair trailing long, courtly black velvet ribbons known historically as “follow-me-young-man” trails. But this was absolutely no basic period-drama costume play. Lantink’s main muse was Queen Marie Antoinette, the historical icon of taking up space and dominating a room. Yet, viewed from different angles, these voluminous silhouettes warped before the audience’s eyes. A grand black ballgown that looked perfectly traditional from the front suddenly morphed into a mind-bending cluster of tubular structures spouting explosions of tulle.
Lantink stripped away the typical rules of how a garment behaves on the body by introducing rigid 3D-printed exoskeletons made from high-tech thermoplastics. He even went so far as to 3D-scan the torso of top model Leon Dame to build an internally corseted, biomorphic carapace (which in normal terms means a hard, protective shell molded directly to the curves of the body) that looked like a melted, sideways Op Art sculpture. From a burgundy molded leather bustier to a tubular column gown entirely layered in flamingo pink feathers, every piece demanded to be seen as a piece of contemporary art moving through space.
He also anchored this theatrical madness back into Gaultier’s sartorial codes. Classic pinstripe tailoring and sharp jackets were spliced with upcycled Levi’s denim, while velvet knickerbockers and jewel-toned satin mules grounded the silhouettes with a sense of Parisian chic. The colour palette pulled Gaultier bordeaux alongside delicate shades of cuisse de nymphe, royal blue, and fresh mint. By the time the final gown swept past featuring a twenty-meter-long burgundy velvet skirt dominated by a golden medallion inspired by the iconic Le Mâle perfume bottle, it was clear that Lantink’s new era isn’t afraid to push couture past its comfort zone.
Credits:
Images courtesy of Jean Paul Gautier
Words: Roisin Teeling @roisinteeling
JeanPaulGautier.com
