Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier Is Bolder Than Ever
For his spring 2027 collection, the designer embraced larger-than-life shapes and cheeky, skin-baring cutouts.
Just a few months after unveiling his larger-than-life couture debut, Duran Lantink returned to the ready-to-wear schedule to show his latest collection for Jean Paul Gaultier spring 2027. And even if it’s not couture, he’s not straying from big, bold, unabashed shapes that pull from his own unique codes—with a JPG twist. Think: the cone bra shape protruding from shoulders, cut-outs and trench coats, or supersize ruffle collars turned into tops. The collection was shown inside of the basement of the Palais de Tokyo, which had been turned completely white and transformed with mirrored panels that vibrated with the sound of the music while reflecting the audience.
No one else is doing underwear dressing that literally mirrors sculpture like Lantink, and this is important during a time when the look is no longer just a trend, but a standard of dressing. Under Lantink’s eye, the classic cone bra became pointier and sharper. This particular piece was made all the more ingenious when contrasted by oversize suiting with rounded shoulders and white gowns.
The collection was full of witty takes on size, proportion, and silhouette, with cutout panels and skin revealed at the center of it all. “I think in summer, it’s nice to play with clothes and skin,” Lantink said backstage after the show. “For me, what is sexiest is more the personality of a person. It’s the person that feels confident and knows she can wear very strict tailoring, but then she can also wear this fringy, hippie dress.”
Toward the end of the collection, one could hear literal jingle bells coming down the runway from afar. The ASMR-style bells were attached to shiny garments with folksy details (inspired by the designer’s native Holland), embedded on hoods, plaid shirts, bikinis, and dresses. Lantink was inspired by a JPG glove from the 1989 archive that was covered in tassels and bells. “When we started adding bells on things, it made an amazing sound,” he explained, “So we started thinking about that woman, or that person who is quite loud—she’s there, and she’s present.”
After the show, Jean Paul Gaultier himself made an appearance during interviews to congratulate Lantink. “With my time now at Gaultier, it’s really important to start exploring things and trying to create extra codes for the house,” Lantink said. “It’s nice to tap into the things that you can [use] instead of a logo—[the branding] is more in the shape.” Lantink’s technical and surreal structures mixed with Gaultier signatures is simply unforgettable.
