Jean Paul Gaultier has appointed Duran Lantink as creative director, concluding the fashion house's collaborative chapter that began in 2020 when founder Gaultier stepped away from his namesake brand. The Dutch designer becomes the first permanent creative director since Gaultier's departure.
Following Gaultier's exit, the Puig-owned fashion house implemented a rotating system of guest designers who each presented their interpretation of the brand's heritage through couture collections. This approach featured creators including Haider Ackermann, Glenn Martens, Nicolas di Felice, and Simone Rocha.
Despite discontinuing its ready-to-wear line in 2010, Jean Paul Gaultier has maintained its appeal among younger consumers, focusing exclusively on haute couture runways for the past decade. These presentations preserved the founder's signature dramatic silhouettes and camp aesthetic. The brand later revived its ready-to-wear collections through partnerships with designers such as Shayne Oliver and Lotta Volkova.
Lantink, educated at Amsterdam's Gerrit Rietveld Academie and Sandberg Instituut, established his reputation through innovative upcycling techniques, transforming deadstock fabrics and existing garments into distinctive hybrid designs. His career gained momentum in 2018 when he created the notable "vagina" trousers for Janelle Monae's "PYNK" music video.
The designer's growing recognition includes accolades from the British Council, the Andam Fashion Award, the 2025 Woolmark Prize, and LVMH's 2024 Karl Lagerfeld prize. Lantink's eponymous brand joined the Paris Ready-to-Wear calendar in October 2023, with his Fall/Winter 2025 collection generating attention for a provocative latex top that captured social media attention.
Gaultier personally endorsed his successor, stating: "I see in him the energy, audacity, and playful spirit through fashion that I had at the beginning of my own journey: the new «enfant terrible» of fashion. Welcome, Duran".
Lantink expressed his perspective on joining the storied house: "I consider Jean Paul Gaultier a genius and part of a generation that kicked down doors, so people like us can walk through them freely and be who we are without apology. Stepping into the role of Creative Director is a true honor. To me, Gaultier represents the ultimate house of creative spirit and savoir-faire".
Lantink's first ready-to-wear collection for Jean Paul Gaultier will debut during Paris Fashion Week on September 25, with his inaugural haute couture presentation scheduled for January 2026.
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Kristin Kaye
Insatiably curious about human expression, she immerses herself in literature, theater, art, and dance. Her academic journey led to degrees in Modern Literature, where she delved into The Furioso, and Historical Sciences with a focus on Contemporary History. Her studies took her to the prestigious Erasmus University Rotterdam, broadening her international perspective.
Her passion for culture isn't confined to personal enjoyment—it spills onto the pages of various publications. There, she explores not only artistic endeavors but also civil rights issues and the myriad ways human culture manifests itself. For her, writing about these topics isn't just a profession; it's an irresistible calling that stems from her deep-seated fascination with the human experience.