Jean-Paul Gaultier

Fashion designer, born in Paris, France. At the age of eighteen he was designing for the Pierre Cardin fashion house, then joined the couture houses of Jacques Esterel and Jean Patou before producing his own independent collection in 1976. Among his well-known designs were the pointed corsets worn by Madonna during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour. He reached a new audience as co-host of the magazine show Eurotrash on British television.

Gaultier never received formal training as a designer. Many of Gaultier's following collections have been based on street wear, focusing on popular culture, whereas others, particularly his Haute Couture collections, are very formal yet at the same time unusual and playful. Jean-Paul Gaultier produced sculptured costumes for Madonna during the nineties and has also worked in close collboration with Wolford Hosiery. Gaultier caused shock by using unconventional models for his exhibitions, like older men and full-figured women, pierced and heavily tattooed models, and by playing with traditional gender roles in the shows.

Gaultier also designed the wardrobe of many motion pictures, including Luc Besson's The Fifth Element, Pedro Almodóvar's Kika, Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Most recently, Jean-Paul Gaultier designed Madonna's wardrobe for her 2006 Confessions Tour, continuing their long-standing relationship.

Gaultier has also designed a number of the costumes and outfits worn by rocker Marilyn Manson, including the outfits for Manson's Golden Age of Grotesque album.

Jean-Paul Gaultier is also known for a popular line of perfumes. His first fragrance, Classique, a women's floral-oriental, was introduced in 1993, followed by Le Mâle for men two years later. Both were highly successful, and Le Mâle is now the number-one men's fragrance in the European Union based on sales; His third fragrance, the women's fragrance Fragile, was introduced in 2000; In 2005, the unisex "fragrance for humanity" Gaultier² (pronounced Gaultier to the power of two) was launched (except in Canada, where it was launched in January 2006, and the United States, where it was launched in August 2006). A new men's fragrance, Fleur du Male, will be launched worldwide in April 2007. All Jean-Paul Gaultier perfumes are produced under a long-term license by Paris-based Beaute Prestige International, a division of the Japanese company Shiseido that also produces fragrances for Narciso Rodriguez and Issey Miyake.

Gaultier also co-presented the first six series of Eurotrash.