Georgia Palmer pays tribute to Jean Paul Gaultier’s punk chic legacy

There’s a joyfulness, a carefree attitude and a punk sensibility embedded in the roots of London’s fashion scene. Or, as Tom Rasmussen once put it, when it comes to style, the city has “slutty dumb punk vibes with a sprinkling of intellect and loads of heart.” 

It’s exactly these associations that made London the perfect backdrop for a new series of photographs by Rosa-Safiah Connell and Angelina Mamoun-Bergenwall. Starring Georgia Palmer, the shoot pays tribute to Jean Paul Gaultier – particularly his earlier work inspired by London street culture and the punk scene of the 1970s and 80s – but also updates it for modern times. “We took inspiration from techno clubs and queer parties happening in the capital now,” says Connell, who styled and art directed the shoot. 

As Connell says, London is often shot in a gritty, “social-realist way”, but it was important to the team that the images looked fun and optimistic. “I wanted to have an escapist dreamlike quality whilst still paying homage to its legacy of subculture and nightlight,” she explains. This subcultural spirit was also present in the beauty looks. On hair, Jacob Kajrup gave Palmer spiky mohawks spray painted with gold, pixie cuts in bold colours and textured buzzcuts. Meanwhile, make-up artist Anna J Payne focused on bringing in the drama that Gaultier is known for.

“I was particularly drawn to the idea of imperfection and felt that was a common theme across the looks, there was always something slightly off,” she says. Nail clay was used to create fake tears, a reference to the Virgin Mary iconography and tears from the SS07 Couture show. “There was a punk element that ran through so many of the shows that worked so well with Georgia’s look.” On nails, Becki Menzies created a studded manicure that played with the idea of piercings and metal that are so present in the punk culture.

Below the team share more about their concept, stories from the shoot and trying to bring fun back into fashion.

The shoot pays tribute to Jean Paul Gaultier and his work – what does he mean to you?

Rosa-Safiah Connell: I always loved the way his work was a clear mix of London and Paris. I think that combination is very powerful in fashion because it’s chic high fashion designs mixed with the street. I also have early childhood memories of watching him on Eurotrash and I loved how funny he was and tongue in cheek. He made fashion fabulous yet accessible, and showed it didn’t have to take itself so seriously.

Why were London and Georgia Palmer the right location and model to best showcase the Jean Paul Gaultier looks? 

Rosa-Safiah Connell: Georgia originates from just outside Birmingham and naturally has such an amazing way of dressing which encapsulates both high fashion and British street style, so she felt like the perfect choice. She also has the most incredible defined features for beauty so for me it was just a case of playing around with who she naturally is and combining it with pieces I found inspiring for the shoot. In a way, it’s an exaggerated version of who she is. She turned up to the shoot wearing the Ottolinger Puma boots and had been up until the early hours with her brother filming shaving her head for the shoot. She is that girl.

Angelina Mamoun-Bergenwall: Jean Paul Gaultier encapsulates joy, punk and a carefree attitude that fashion sometimes forgets to embrace. Have fun! Play around. Georgia was natural at this as she is all of these things. We worked with expressions, exaggerated poses combined with humour and drama. Honestly, we just had a good time.

Can you tell us more about the hair looks?

Jacob Kajrup: For our hair looks the conversation was very simple, we had a moodboard of different beauty looks throughout the years. I generally like to pick up a texture first. I looked at the sleek and the softness, and whatever happens when the runway lights hit it. [I notice] common themes from the shows with the gold, the red and the blue. 

I pride myself in being technical enough to work fast while on set, so I had the ideas in my head and as soon as Georgia showed up I already had a little space set up where I could spray paint and gold-dip wigs and extensions. It helps when you have someone like Georgia that you know can wear anything, it really makes my job a lot easier. 

Was the make-up inspired by any particular references or influences?

Anna J Payne: While looking back at JPG shows and beauty looks through the years and it was the drama of the looks that really stuck out to me. I was particularly drawn to the idea of imperfection and felt that was a common theme across the looks, there was always something slightly off. That’s where my thinking started with these looks.

Photography by Angelina Mamoun-Bergenwall at Lundlund, art direction and styling by Rosa-Safiah Connell, model Georgia Palmer at Kate Moss Agency; make-up by Anna J Payne at C/O Management, hair by Jacob Kajrup at CLM, nails by Becki Menzies, casting director Emilie Lou Åström, stylist assistants Savannah Jones & Anna Luisa Lauro, photography and lighting assistants Joshua Onabowu, Harry Gilespie, Aurora Gbinigie, retouch Linjepunkt, production LundLund