Jean Paul Gaultier and KNWLS Is a Grunge Girlie's Stonewashed Dream
The 42-piece collection draws inspiration from the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Jean Paul Gaultier joined forces with London-based label KNWLS for a 42-piece collection spanning tops, jackets, pants and dresses.
Merging the shared loves of both labels and drawing from themes of punk and print, the fusion line made its debut following a kick-off party at New York Fashion Week, with KNWLS also set to include several looks from the collection in its September runway show.
“I’ve always been a fan of KNWLS‘ work and have collaborated with them in the past. Their world is really connected to the legacy of Jean Paul Gaultier and it made total sense to give birth to this collection inspired by the very specific vision of the women’s body both brands have,” said Tétier in a statement. “We wanted to find that world in between that feels very KNWLS and very Jean Paul Gaultier at the same time,” added Arsenault. “It feels like it could be part of the Jean Paul Gaultier archive already — but also the KNWLS archive.”
Founded in South London in 2017, KNWLS has become known for its futuristic aesthetic and figure-hugging silhouettes. The partnership between the brand and JPG isn’t the first time the duo have worked together either, as Jean Paul Gaultier’s creative director, Florence Tétier, once created a range of jewelry for a KNWLS showcase.
Prints within the collection channel the spirit of Jean Paul Gaultier, featuring hand-stencilled trompe-l’œil tattoos and scratched wood textures. Elsewhere, corsetry and denim styles make standout appearances, elevated by KNWLS’ signature bleached plaid, skin-tight silhouettes and figure-hugging details. Including aged leather and stonewashed denim alongside bustiers, cut-outs and harnesses, the collection fuses the most daring elements of both brands, and elevates them.
The standout piece lands in the form of a corset costume, crafted with vert-de-gris-effect screen printed leather and hand-crocheted panelling — which took almost a year to create. Finally, the accompanying campaign stars rising model Alex Consani, lensed by Harley Weir and takes inspiration from JPG campaigns from the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Take a look above, and head to KNWLS and JPG to purchase the collection.
In other news, when did we all start dressing like school kids?
