Milder reactions to Duran Lantink's second collection for Jean Paul Gaultier

Since his appointment as Jean Paul Gaultier's successor, The Hague-native Duran Lantink seems to be playing a game of cat and mouse with the fashion world. His debut was loud, provoking global reactions. In contrast, his second appearance at Paris Fashion Week was remarkably composed. Instead of a spectacle of colour and form, including trompe l'oeil nude bodysuits, he presented a monochrome collection of tailoring and luxurious fabrics.

The second collection was consequently received differently: not with outrage and shock, but with serious analyses of his references to Gaultier and questions about Lantink's own place in the fashion industry.

Gaultier: “fabulous, fabulous, fabulous, top”

Among the carefully curated front row at the show, which took place in Paris on Sunday, was a familiar face not everyone still recognises: that of the 73-year-old Jean Paul Gaultier himself. A clip circulated on Instagram of the man who founded the brand in 1976. He passed the baton to the young talent in 2024, after an 11-year hiatus from the ready-to-wear division.

“Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous, top,” he exclaimed to the fashion press after the show. He also gave Lantink a big hug. This preemptively silenced critics with doubts, who are burdened by social media's cancel culture.

Serious references

While outrage overshadowed Lantink's debut and his intentions with it, analysts now seriously unpacked the collection's references to Gaultier's early work. (These were also present in the debut, such as Gaultier's sailor stripe and his pointed cone bra from 1984, which inspired Lantink's opening look.)

Cult magazine Dazed noted with approval the western look Gaultier previously showed in 1989: the black cowboy hats; leather gloves; and the western shirt with front breast pockets and epaulettes on the shoulders. “Although today's looks were a lot more subdued than Gaultier's at the time, the western references were present and subtly woven into the clothes,” the British magazine judged.

Besides cowboys, other archetypes from Lantink's imaginative inner world appeared: avengers in dresses made of leather strips and with bulging velour prosthetics. Girl bosses observing the goings-on in the office. The modern femme fatale. There were also appearances that would fit into Harry Potter films; nerdy, severe and mysterious.

“It felt like a convergence of characters from completely different worlds, but in a way that made perfect sense,” wrote Hypebae. Luxferty, in turn, described this assessment as 'cinematic luxury'.

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10 Magazine spoke favourably of Lantink's experiments with proportions and tailoring to challenge gender stigmas, pointing to the first looks: men's coats made feminine. Vogue Runway saw this choice as a sign that Lantink, “mischievous as a child,” also has serious plans to move the fashion house forward. “With this collection, Lantink opened the door to Gaultier's extensive collection of tailoring,” the journalist wrote.

What 10 Magazine, Vogue Australia and Vanity Teen seem to agree on is that Lantink's signature style was more prominent this time. His typically bulbous chests, enormous collars and shoulders raised to the ears were better showcased within the less ostentatious line.

Vanity Teen wrote that it instinctively feels like the right method for Lantink, whose career is built on transformation – cutting up existing garments and rebuilding them into something entirely new. “That same fearless spirit now fuels the Gaultier universe.”

Keep Paris weird

While the brand's Instagram was stormed with negative reactions last year, the team and the designer are now mainly being congratulated. Under the videos from the popular fashion channel Stylenot, run by Georgian analyst Beka Gvishiani, relieved reactions poured in. This was better than the previous collection.

Luke Meagher, behind the account HauteLeMode, said what everyone was thinking: “I don't know what I'm looking at, but hey – Jean Paul Gaultier keeps Paris weird – it keeps the original madness of Paris alive.”

More serious critiques on LinkedIn hint at the commercial potential of Lantink's new direction for Gaultier. “A beautiful collection,” shared clothing manufacturer Messi LTD, “the combination of classic tailoring and sensual materials is very powerful.” The balance in innovation is also clever, according to Janos Nagy, a personal shopper at the Australian brand David Jones. “Creativity and innovation form the perfect combination of the JPG signature.”

According to French stylist Dominique Aubry, Lantink primarily demonstrated his mastery of the language of construction. “The silhouettes are based on an architectural work. Some pieces deliberately play with the proportions and distortions of the silhouette, thereby revealing a fascinating and innovative exploration of structure and cut.”

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Which critiques count?

The extent of the reaction to Lantink confirms not only his attempts to detach fashion from so-called good taste – as he revealed his intentions to Wallpaper – but also the engagement of the modern fashion critic.

From prestigious titles to niche publications (indie magazines) to popular social media commentary, potential new critics are emerging everywhere to say something meaningful about the fashion shows. They attract their followers with either humour or in-depth expertise. A complex collection like Gaultier's allows them to prove themselves as a leading fashion voice.

The critics, too, must prove themselves amidst the whims of fashion. They too – the magazines and the individuals with virtual communities – struggle with the attention economy. Lantink's loud provocations also shed light on which of them we want to see.