Jean Paul Gaultier FW26 Puts Cowboys & Aliens in Tailored Techwear

 SummaryDuran Lantink’s FW26 collection for Jean Paul Gaultier blended Western, technical, and sartorial styles, moving from sharp, all-black tailoring to experimental pieces featuring fair isle and gingham patterns.The show balanced JPG’s signature sensuality with innovative silhouettes, ranging from trompe l’oeil puppet bodysuits to elegant, voluminous couture gowns.Dutch designer Duran Lantink presented his sophomore collection for Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris over the weekend, closing the week with a memorable collection that was equally Gaultier as it was original. In a clean synthesis of disparate aesthetics, the FW26 collection was Western, sartorial, and technical all at once, while maintaining JPG’s signature sensuality.The show opens with a run of looks that starkly contrast with Lantink’s debut, which was a polarizing spectacle of color and shape (including trompe l’oeil nude body suits). Instead, FW26 began with all-black numbers inspired by classic men’s tailoring and finished with patterned neck ties. A matching pinstriped set included a hood in place of a shirt collar, and elsewhere, an otherwise regular office look featured a vest with outsized shoulders rising above the ears.Then, the suits began evolving before the audience’s eyes with details borrowed from technical outerwear styles like ski jackets and windbreakers. In place of the NSFW bodysuits, Lantink introduced a trompe l’oeil puppet bodysuit branded with a JPG watermark on the chest. New patterns come into play here as well: skin-tight sets and structured formalwear were rendered in dueling fair isle and gingham patterns. Standing out is a bodycon mockneck dress with a distorted image of Marlene Dietrich smoking on the bodice.The show closed with some of Lantink’s more couture-appropriate work: a rich burgundy velour gown cinched with chunky concentric rings of fabric and a beautifully draped bright red gown with bulbous shoulders and cuffs. These looks were sprinkled in with all-black looks that closed the show on a soft note, each styled with small cowboy hats.See the gallery above for a full look at Jean Paul Gaultier FW26 and stay tuned to Hypebeast for the latest fashion industry news and insights. Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast