Duran Lantink revealed that his debut collection for Jean Paul Gaultier was born not from archival deep-dives, but from memory. In an era when fashion houses obsess over codes and heritage – often rehashing the past into near replicas of their founders’ work – his instinctive, memory-driven approach felt like a breath of fresh air.
The Dutch-born designer first gained recognition as a finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2019 and by 2023 was presenting his socio-political, gender-fluid, form-bending avant-garde at Paris Fashion Week. A year later, he claimed the Karl Lagerfeld LVMH Prize. Last season, he set social media ablaze with a subversive collection featuring two torso tops – one male, one female – each worn by the opposite sex. That viral moment, coupled with his fearless vision, earned him the creative directorship of Jean Paul Gaultier.
Lantink’s debut show took place in the industrial, subterranean corridors of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, marking Gaultier’s return to the ready-to-wear calendar after several seasons of haute couture collaborations with guest designers. While this collection didn’t aim to “break the internet,” it delivered the cerebral provocation Lantink is celebrated for.
Sci-fi-style bras and knickers, padded and sequined in gold, transformed wearers into futuristic superheroines. The true brilliance lies in how Lantink reimagined Gaultier’s legacy.
In Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2026, Lantink unleashed a daring fantasia where gender, anatomy and audacity collided. Each piece felt more like a provocation than a garment. These creations didn’t just dress the body, they exalted it, confronting eroticism, absurdity and mythology all at once. Fashion here became both self-portrait and manifesto, dissolving the boundaries between tapestry and skin.
Source: Jean Paul Gaultier PR
