Jean Paul Gaultier x Lotta Volkova’s Take on Trompe L’oeil and Cone Bras
COURTESY OF JOHNNY DUFORT
Russian-born and traveling the globe with her naval captain father, Lotta Volkova soon became the world’s most diverse stylist. She began her career studying art and design at London’s Central Saint Martins. Inspired by the thriving club scene in London, she designed her own punk label known as Lotta Skeletrix in 2004. Her designs caught Rei Kawakubo's eye (founder of Commes de Garcon) at the Dover Street Market and the Pineal Eye.
Soon after, Volkova was introduced to Demna Gvasalia at a party through a mutual friend. Gvasalia showed Volkova his lookbook of an early Vetements collection. Volkova was unimpressed, and Gvasalia put her to the task of styling his future collections. Volkova has also established creative direction at Balenciaga, another one of Gvasalia’s endeavors. On top of it all, she has been styling with Miu Miu’s runway shows these past recent seasons.
After Jean Paul Gautlier’s retirement in 2020, five new creatives filled his shoes in the fashion house. Sacai’s Creative Director, Chitose Abe and Y/Project and Diesel’s Glenn Martens took the reins of the first two couture collections since JPG has left the building. Now, superstylist Lotta Volkova is embarking on the newest ready-to-wear collection with her post-Soviet street culture and punk style.
COURTESY OF JOHNNY DUFORT
COURTESY OF JOHNNY DUFORT
COURTESY OF JOHNNY DUFORT
With access to JPG’S archives, Volkova reintroduced cone bras, trompe l’oeil motifs, babydoll silhouettes, and lingerie-inspired knitwear tailored with S&M details to a modern audience.
COURTESY OF JOHNNY DUFORT
Volkova’s campaign features dancers, athletes, and artists modeling the looks and photographed by Johnny Dufort. The star of it all was Volkova’s poodle, Dimitri.
COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
It started with Madonna debuting her JPG pink satin cone bra on stage during her Blond Ambition Tour in the ‘90s to Kylie Jenner embracing the trompe l’oeil trend just two weeks ago on Instagram. Like they always say, the trends of the past always come back.
INSTAGRAM @KYLIEJENNER
Volkova nods to many past collections in this new collection. Gaultier’s FW94 cone velvet dress was referenced in the making of a mini dress and top. The FW04 show was also touched on with its babydoll silhouettes and continuum of the childlike proportions for the new collection. And of course, the naked dress from FW04 that has been resurrected into a jersey fabric dress, tops, bodysuits, and bikinis.
The 24-piece collection maintains Gaultier’s campy, surrealist spirit and has reminded us of pieces we didn’t know we needed.
More can be found on www.jeanpaulgaultier.com and select boutiques.
