Jean Paul Gaultier in conversation
Born in a Paris suburb in 1952, Jean Paul Gaultier was introduced to the world of fashion by his maternal grandmother, Marie Garage.
His career in the fashion industry began at Pierre Cardin at the age of just 18, and in 1982 he launched his own eponymous label. He has gone on to rise to the top of the fashion world, ruffling industry feathers and dressing huge stars along the way – including the now-infamous Madonna bustier.
In 2019, Gaultier brought his Fashion Freak Show here to the Southbank Centre. Part revue, part catwalk show, it was described as a ‘fabulous fiesta of fabric and flesh’ by The Guardian, and proved a huge hit with audiences.
But before his extravaganza exploded onto our stage at Royal Festival Hall, the designer himself appeared here in conversation with TV presenter Anita Rani, reflecting on his decades in fashion. Hear Gaultier discuss his childhood inspirations, his love of British eccentricity and his vision for the future of the fashion industry in this podcast of that talk.
“Punk showed me that difference can be beautiful, and is beautiful.”
Jean Paul Gaultier