
Duran Lantink could be Jean-Paul Gaultier's next creative director
Will the French marinière be given a Dutch makeover?
January 31st, 2025
As the splendid army of pirates by Ludovic De Saint Sernin paraded for Le Naufrage - his collection designed as a guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier - just a few days ago, rumors about the identity of the next creator who will have the honor of signing alongside the name of the enfant terrible are already buzzing. And it is none other than Duran Lantink, Dutch designer and grand winner of the Karl Lagerfeld special jury prize at the LVMH competition last year, who is at the heart of this buzz. More than just rumors perhaps, as industry sources suggest that the Parisian Couture House, which has been hosting prestigious guests for one collection since 2020, has seriously discussed a potential collaboration with Lantink.
A collaboration that would make perfect sense, given Lantink's rise in recent years, from his victory in the Karl Lagerfeld prize at the famed LVMH competition in 2024, to winning the special prize from ANDAM in 2023, his place among the eight emerging brands named finalists for the 2025 International Woolmark Prize, and his work for renowned artists like Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, and Janelle Monáe, for whom he created the viral vagina pants in the music video for her song Pynk. But these accolades and validation are not the only reasons why Lantink for Gaultier would be a wise choice. While the Dutch designer's silhouettes and aesthetic challenge conventions through playful volumes, padding, and the use of austere colors, they are somewhat reminiscent of the work of the enfant terrible himself, who has been a source of inspiration for Lantink since his beginnings.
His playful and committed approach to fashion fits perfectly into the aesthetic lineage of JPG and the guest designers who, for the past five years, have honored his idea of hosting guests to temporarily redefine the House's codes in their own way. Succeeding De Saint Sernin, Simone Rocha, Glenn Martens or Olivier Rousteing and their bold and personal reinterpretations of Gaultier is a challenge, but Lantink seems ready to take it up with brio. Even if no agreement has been finalized yet and this information remains to be confirmed, we do know that Maison Gaultier is also searching for a successor to Florence Tétier, who quietly stepped down as creative director of fashion last September. Who knows, perhaps Lantink, beyond temporarily contributing to the French house's story, might be granted an entire chapter by being promoted to head its artistic direction.