Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture S/S12

Giant, two-tone beehives, thick eyeliner, upper lip piercings and a cigarette in hand: the reference to Amy Winehouse was clear –  all to the sound of a doo woop quatuor, which, halfway through the show, began humming the late singer’s hits. Like Winehouse, the clothes mixed 50s rockabilly and urban references – a synthesis best summed up in a corseted baseball jacket.

The collection consisted of plenty more corsets and bodices, platform heels, high-waisted pencil skirts. Lingerie camisoles poking out of oversized macs and a pink & silver hoodie also made an appearance. There was also a reference to her collaboration with Fred Perry, as a white polo shirt with black detailing was reinterpreted in a skin tight, low neck top. As for the finale, it consisted of mourning brides, in diminutive underwear, black flowers and veils on their heads – a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the singer’s achievements, surely.

Backstage photography by R. Torrado
Catwalk photography by P. Stable