5 things Jean Paul Gaultier brought to fashion

“It’s always the badly dressed people who are the most interesting”, once said Jean Paul Gaultier. And yet, God knows that if there is one figure both well-dressed and interesting, it is the Enfant terrible of fashion. Five years after stepping down from the creative direction of his eponymous brand, and just days after the announcement of his successor Duran Lantink, JPG is celebrating his 73rd birthday today. A 73rd birthday that's hard to believe, given the infinite energy and skin defying gravity of our favorite Taurus with a Libra rising. And yet, it's real, marking the growth, development, and consolidation of a career now internationally recognized and celebrated. So let’s take this birthday as an opportunity to look back on five things Jean Paul Gaultier brought to fashion, from pieces that became classics to deeper changes in couture and societal codes.

The Marinière

Whether it's blue, black, red, with thick lines, thin, tightly packed or widely spaced, the marinière is present in every wardrobe, whether fashionista or not. However, the true marinière, the original one with indigo stripes worn by sailors in the 18th century, owes the success it still enjoys today to the Enfant terrible of fashion. Though it already appealed to Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot with her iconic look in Le Mépris (a marinière under a blue cardigan and a matching headband), or Yves Saint Laurent, who brought it to the Fashion Week catwalk in 1966 with his “Matelot” collection, it quickly became Jean Paul Gaultier’s signature. Obsessed with the pattern since childhood, he turned the marinière into a true fashion emblem starting in 1978, during his first men’s runway show. Sometimes presented as a simple t-shirt, a gradient dress, or trompe-l’oeil, Jean Paul Gaultier has reinvented the marinière in every possible way. And when he launched his first perfume Le Mâle in 1995, what better way to decorate the bottle than with a marinière that blends seamlessly into the iconic bust? In short, when we think of Jean Paul Gaultier, we think of a big smile, shaved head—but most of all, the marinière.

Madonna’s Iconic Cone Bras

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Enfant terrible and his fashion is his willingness to show what the world usually tries to hide. The most telling example? The Madonna cone bra, made famous in 1990 when the pop star kicked off her “Blond Ambition” tour in Japan. Originally designed not for Madonna, but for the designer's stuffed bear Nana, the cone bra quickly became a symbol of freedom, empowerment, and Gaultier’s couture. The piece first appeared in 1983, during the brand’s Barbès FW84 collection, but it was the satin version worn by Madonna that made it globally iconic. From then on, the bra was endlessly reinterpreted by the designer—sometimes copied (no offense SS25 Dolce&Gabbana collection), but never equaled. In 2012, Gaultier created a new version for the opening of Madonna’s “MDNA” tour, and in 2018, Madonna paid tribute to it at the Met Gala, wearing a corset and the famous bra in a gradient of pure white—simple yet so intricate.

Mylène Farmer’s Most Memorable Stage Outfits

But Madonna isn't the only artist to capture the Enfant terrible's heart—and needle. His other undeniable muse is also from across the Atlantic: the fiery Mylène Farmer, originally from Canada. Their friendship began in 1991, when the designer dressed her for the music video Je t’aime mélancolie, where she wore garters, a bustier, and a belt—all in black leather. This marked the beginning of many collaborations: in 1996 for the video Comme j’ai mal, in 1999 for the kimonos of L'Âme-Stram-Gram, in 2000 for the Optimistique-moi dress, and in 2011 for the two outfits in Lonely Lisa. Naturally, the singer didn’t keep Gaultier’s designs confined to the screen. No, they deserved the limelight and an audience. So Mylène entrusted Jean Paul Gaultier with the creation of costumes for her last three shows: Tour 2009, Timeless 2013, and her Paris La Défense Arena residency in 2019. Among them: the anatomical bodysuit resembling a skinless human body, dangerously glamorous corset/garter sets, a sexy velvet catsuit, and a futuristic white suit surrounded by robot dancers. A story of fashion, love, and deep friendship, culminating in the (fake) wedding of the two at Gaultier’s FW12 runway show.

The Reinvention of the Parisian Woman and the Rise of the Naughty Bourgeoise

As you’ve gathered—from Madonna to Mylène Farmer and beyond the Paris catwalks—Jean Paul Gaultier isn’t into “nice girls.” Or rather, nice girls don’t stay nice for long in the company of the Enfant terrible and his creations. But if there’s one thing the designer loves, it’s France, Paris, its outrageous freedom, innate chic, cancan dancers, and repressed madness. He pays homage to his beloved city through dresses and accessories decorated with Eiffel Towers, fishnet stockings paired with feathered outfits echoing the playful spirit of Pigalle, and elegant staples reinvented from every self-respecting Parisian’s wardrobe. From the Champs Élysées to Montmartre and the Marais, the Gaultier woman is deeply free, confident, beautiful, and proudly French.

Androgynous Silhouettes, Unisex Fashion, and Skirts for All

If Jean Paul Gaultier never feared tight corsets, visible lingerie, or bold, overflowing femininity, the fashion world—and the world at large—also owes him a radical and forward-thinking mindset, expressed through androgynous silhouettes and fashion for all. In 2025, thanks to figures like Jules Koundé and progressive brands like Thom Browne, imagining a man in a skirt doesn’t seem so crazy. But in the '80s, any man daring to reveal his legs in a well-cut skirt would’ve been mocked and dismissed. So what changed? The answer: Jean Paul Gaultier. Skirts made their first appearance in his FW85 collection, featuring a tailored skirt worn by a man, with a white shirt and loafers. But no jealousy here—corsets too were adapted to male torsos, offered in every form: sometimes sheer, sometimes denim, sometimes plain.