When Duran Lantink steps onto the Jean Paul Gaultier couture runway on July 8, he will present not just a collection but a declaration of how the house intends to navigate its post-founder identity. The Dutch designer, who took the creative reins of the ready-to-wear line in late 2025, now turns his attention to the maison’s most elevated expression — a couture show that follows in the tradition of Gaultier’s theatrical, category-defying presentations.
For the maison, this couture season represents a test of endurance. Gaultier himself retired from the runway in 2020, and the house has since operated through creative collaborations and, now, a permanent appointment. Whether Lantink’s vision can sustain the weight of the Gaultier name at the highest level of craftsmanship will become clearer when the first look emerges from behind the Châtelet’s curtain.
Lantink’s approach to Gaultier’s archive has been notably different from the house’s previous guest-designer model, which invited a rotating roster of outside talents to interpret the brand’s codes for single seasons. As permanent creative director, Lantink is building a sustained narrative — each collection has referenced a different Gaultier theme while advancing the designer’s own preoccupations with volume, transparency, and the politics of dress.
The couture collection is expected to draw from Gaultier’s fall 1994 “Les Muses” show, which featured the supermodels of the era in exaggerated, sculptural silhouettes. Lantink has signaled an interest in the tension between corsetry and liberation — a theme that runs through Gaultier’s career and resonates with contemporary conversations about the body in fashion.
