It's no secret that skin is in. Like a snake shedding what no longer serves it, after months cooped up indoors we're casting off our layers (read: saggy tracksuits) and letting it all hang out. It seems natural then, that another one of fashion's current fixations is with boobs. Be it via accentuating breasts with sheer bustiers and spaghetti straps like Nensi Dojaka or as is the case for Simone Rocha's Spring Summer collection, triangle cut outs for a sartorial peep show, it's clear the girls are back.
In the spirit of the sartorial breast bonanza (at least that's what we imagine) Jean Paul Gaultier is launching a runway rental service, unlocking the vault to his 30,000-large archive, which includes his iconic cone bra. That's right. You can now rent the OG satin corset that supported Madonna through her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour.
For those who have found themselves scouring online marketplaces like Depop and Vestiaire for vintage 80s and 90s Jean Paul Gaultier pieces, then this one's for you. Instead of trawling the internet you can now go directly to the source, a.k.a the Jean Paul Gaultier revamped website, to rent his most memorable pieces - even if it's only for a month. The idea is to rotate between a selection of items dependant on the trends of the moment.
Currently, there are 30 garments from the Jean Paul Gaultier back catalogue available to rent as of today. Which significantly lowers the price of admission for a Jean Paul Gaultier piece, especially the cone bra which sold for $52,000 at an auction in 2012. To give you an idea, it will set you back about $230 AUD for a silk scarf and around $1000 AUD for one of his cage-style gowns.
As well as the new rental service, Jean Paul Gaultier is also launching a second-hand marketplace will currently features 50 unique pieces sourced from private clients and resellers.
You can find all the details, including the rental service and marketplace on Jean Paul Gaultier's website, which launched on October 27.
