Fashion
Haute Turban:
Ace French Designer Jean Paul Gaultier's Sikh-Inspired Men's Fashion Line
DEEPTI JHAKAR
Designer Jean Paul Gaultier's love for the subcontinent reflects in his womenswear collections from time to time.
Like Gaultier, Sikhs and Punjab, as well as the subcontinent, have been an inspiration to many international design houses and with time, the Sikh/Punjabi image has also carved out a significant spot for itself on the global fashion map.
The renowned designer's use of sari gowns, traditional Indian colours and fabrics and stylised lambskin jodhpurs has already evoked rave reviews in the fashion world.
And with his spring/summer 2013 menswear collection which was showcased in Paris on Thursday, June 28, 2012, Gaultier of Hermès proved that his love for Punjabi style and the subcontinent is no fleeting romance.
Dressing up his models in Sikh-styled turbans, teamed with various ensembles such as shorts, blazers, tuxedos, T-shirts and overcoats, Gaultier paid a rich tribute once more to the land of many cultures and colours.
The collection was inspired by the travel theme, presenting a globe-trotting fashionable man who understands the very essence of travelling that is cultivating a bigger understanding and respect for various cultures.
He then reflects the same in his wardrobe and style. Talking about his subcontinental connect, Gaultier had said in an interview recently: 'In every collection I have done, there is always an Indian inspiration.'
The designer is known to visit the country quite often and owns a vast library of intensely coloured textile swatches here since his first visit to Kolkata in West Bengal and Puri in Orissa, in the 1970s.
[Courtesy: Daily Mail. Edited for sikhchic.com]
June 30, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), June 30, 2012, 1:26 PM.
Fantastic!
2: Rajinder Singh (Ludhiana, Punjab), July 01, 2012, 12:02 AM.
It' a great initiative to glorify turbans.
3: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), July 01, 2012, 12:43 AM.
Wow, those are some pretty swag turbans. Nice to know that the liberal arts in France are still a source of inspiration.
4: Lakhvir Singh Khalsa (Kenya), July 01, 2012, 5:54 AM.
A tad tacky, could be mistaken for Arab. Would have been so much more effective if the turbans had been tied with as much grace and finesse as the rest of the clothing.
5: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), July 01, 2012, 9:34 AM.
And this French designer has risen in France which still bans Sikhs from wearing turbans in schools, or for license photos, etc? Well, turbans always go with beards, anything less doesn't work as well.
6: Manjeet Shergill (Singapore), July 01, 2012, 10:24 AM.
Cute boys - not sure about the turbans though, as part of the whole look.
7: Harmit (Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia), November 12, 2012, 2:13 AM.
Really cool ... I think these guys look dashing. Never thought of Sikh fashion this way. Kudos to the designer.