Paris - RTW SS13 - Jean Paul Gaultier

City: Paris
Season: Ready-To-Wear, Spring/Summer 2013
Show: Jean Paul Gaultier

With John Galliano still something of a persona non grata in the fashion world, or at least on the surface of it, one could say that Paris Fashion Week has been lacking in pageantry somewhat. For Spring/Summer 2013 Monsieur Gaultier brought it right back with a show that was part sartorial showcase, part Madame Tussaud’s come to life. There were multiple Grace Joneses, a handful of Sades, more Like a Virgin-era Madonnas than one could shake a glitter-filled stick at and - wait - Boy George, is that you? Nope, its just American supermodel Karlie Kloss (centre) demonstrating her incredible versatility once again. The craziness calmed down a little bit somewhere ahead of the home stretch when a stream of Jane Birkins - Aymeline Valade (top centre) and Lindsey Wixson (bottom left) among them - came down the runway in more obviously wearable looks. All in all there were some truly jaw-dropping looks on display, and one thing I love about Jean Paul Gaultier’s presentations is that he celebrates diversity in the models he uses rather than fawning over the hottest new face, etcetera, but with a whole slew of Bad-era Michael Jacksons and a couple of scarily true-to-life Bowie impersonators (bottom centre) the outfits themselves got lost amid the spectacle. But, hell, are these pictures fun to look at!

This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in October 2012.