Jean Paul Gaultier’s Subtle Nod to Free the Nipple
For his 2018 Fall Haute Couture show, Jean Paul Gaultier reintroduced the famous “Le Smoking” suits that Yves Saint Laurent designed in his own deconstructed twist. It was the designer’s first show in a while where he had men going down the runway, and he did not disappoint. Gaultier often likes to blur the lines when it comes to gender rules in fashion, and this collection had tailoring on both men and women.
PROS:
This collection is rich with different political and social statements. The male models were seen with kohl eyeliner looks, skirts, and accessories (like a hairpiece or dangly earrings) that are traditionally seen as ‘female’ looks. The male models look powerful and sexy, no matter if they’re in pants or a long skirt.
The same goes for the female models. They are wearing tailoring, which again gives them a powerful and sexy look. Their eyes are also smudged with kohl. No matter if they’re wearing a tailored garment or a flowing gown, there is a sense of authority in the looks. Androgyny is clearly present in this collection, and it was done successfully.
A particular look I enjoyed in this collection is the second to last look, which I’ll add below this paragraph. A man and woman are walking down the runway with each other, the woman one step ahead of the man. His arms are in his pockets, just very casually walking along (as casual as one can be while walking down a couture runway). The woman is powerfully walking, her hands on her hips, her hips swaying strongly. Neither model is wearing a shirt.
The male has “Tetons Libres” across the plastic shields they were wearing, and her shield said “Free the Nipple.” The “Free the Nipple” movement has been growing in strength in years. Men are allowed to be shirtless in public, television, and social media, but women are not allowed to so without it being seen as sexual. Females are looked down on for showing their nipples even though they are physically the same as a male. When I first saw this look I smiled, because I believe that women should be allowed to show their chests without being demonized.
To me, the plastic shields both models are wearing look a lot like riot shields. We’ve been seeing a lot of protests lately, most recently the immigration protests. I love that the fashion industry is using its influence to voice its opinions on today’s social issues. It shows that everyone has a voice and a right to speak up.
The “riot shields” could be making the statement I think they are, or they could just be how they were designed. They could even symbolize glass windows like in a museum when you’re looking at a piece of art, so maybe that could also be the reasoning behind them. I just think that there’s a reason for everything and nothing was added to these outfits for no reason.
CONS:
The cons of this collection are that there were a few outfits that didn’t fit into the rest of the collection. Everything was pretty cohesive until the 24th and 25th outfits. To me, they were pretty random and reminded me of what someone would wear to a Christmas party. I didn’t understand how these two outfits fit in with the rest of the collection.
It was a bit outdated as well. Yes, the construction is beautiful, but a collection like this doesn’t fit into this year's trend of being fresh-faced and bright.
Overall I would give this collection four stars. Not only were the garments beautiful and well made, but the social statements the collection made were excellent. What did you think about this collection and the “Free the Nipple” outfits? Let me know by sending me an email through the contact page!
