At the Crossroads of Two Fashion Legends: Nicolas Di Felice's bold vision for Jean Paul Gaultier

How do Maximalism and Minimalism play together in fashion? One could not imagine a designer farther away from Jean Paul Gaultier's theatricality that made Courrèges a thing today with its minimalist ultra-sexy looks than Nicolas Di Felice. Within four years, the Belgian designer made the historical house great again, and it was only a matter of time before Jean Paul Gauthier asked him to join an array of his star guest designers that include Glenn Martens, Chitose Abe (Sacai), Haider Ackermann and Simone Rocha. So this impossible mix of fashion maximalism and fashion minimalism, is what made this collection the most intriguing of the season. Nicolas' masterplan was simple: let's not make something à la JPG with cones or guêpière or any other fashion showstopper, but focus on Parisian Chicness instead. Or, in other words, the other side of Jean Paul Gaultier. The result was mind-blowing: the minimalist silhouettes in black, white and beige screamed Courrèges (read the sexiest brand on the Parisian radars), but were filled with subtle references to Galuthier's heritage - think corsets, and hook and eye closures as functional embroidery.

“Gaultier was really the first one to celebrate different people. Everybody remembers this about him and it’s a good thing, because he actually did it,” Nicolas di Felice mused backstage, adding that he wanted to interpret Gaultier's work in his own way: the French designer was always an inspiration to him as a young designer and a queer young fellow. He also explained that he wanted his collection to be centred around a narrative close to both him and Jean Paul Gauthier, who became Parisians of adoption and step by step conquered the local fashion scene. "He always inspired me. You know, you can come to Paris and be who you want!" he continued. So it's a story of a newly-made Parisienne. Coming to the city of Lights, at first, she hides her identity beneath face veils and draped fabric only to gradually show more of herself, revealing more and more of her body... Sounds intriguing, right?

Find out more about the collection in our gallery. 

Courtesy: Jean Paul Gaultier 

Text: Lidia Ageeva