By Fashion Editorial Staff
In another major fashion shakeup, Dutch designer Duran Lantink has been named the permanent Creative Director of Jean Paul Gaultier. The announcement brings an end to the house’s experimental era of rotating collaborators and ushers in a singular vision—one poised to honor Gaultier’s rebellious DNA while propelling the brand into a future shaped by innovation, sustainability, and irreverent wit.
The appointment is more than symbolic. It comes with the blessing of Jean Paul Gaultier himself, who passed the proverbial torch by anointing Lantink as fashion's new enfant terrible—the same title that once defined Gaultier's own career, beginning with his audacious debut in 1976.
"I see in him the energy, audacity, and playful spirit through fashion that I had at the beginning of my own journey: the new enfant terrible of fashion. Welcome, Duran," Gaultier shared in the official announcement, expressing deep confidence in Lantink's ability to carry the house's disruptive spirit forward.
Best known for his cutting-edge silhouettes and radical approach to upcycling, Lantink has long challenged fashion's conventions, merging couture craftsmanship with streetwise rebellion. His 2022 "Old Stock" collection, a masterclass in reimagined luxury, solidified his status as a designer unafraid to reconstruct not only garments, but the very systems of fashion production.
"I consider Jean Paul Gaultier a genius and part of a generation that kicked down doors, so people like us can walk through them freely and be who we are without apology. Stepping into the role of Creative Director is a true honor. To me, Gaultier represents the ultimate house of creative spirit and savoir-faire. It's provocative, and continuously pushing boundaries. It's the brand that brings together different disciplines around fashion to create cultural movements, changing the language of clothes and how we wear them in the streets," Lantink said.
The industry won’t have to wait long to see how Lantink reinterprets the Gaultier legacy. His debut ready-to-wear collection is set to unveil on September 25 during Paris Fashion Week, followed by his first Haute Couture collection in January 2026.
Critics and fans alike are eager to see how Lantink navigates the maison’s hallmark codes: the gender-defying silhouettes, the irreverent fusion of street and spectacle, and the theatricality that made Gaultier’s shows legendary. He inherits not only a legacy of craft, but a cultural force—one that has consistently challenged how fashion speaks to identity, body politics, and the very act of dressing.
Founded in 1976, Jean Paul Gaultier has never been just a fashion label. It has served as a platform for provocation, satire, and sensuality—an institution that has redefined beauty standards and pushed the boundaries of couture. For Lantink, it represents “a house that doesn’t just make clothes, but rewrites the language of how we wear them in the world.”
In an era where heritage houses must constantly redefine relevance while preserving their essence, Lantink’s appointment signals a confident, radical step forward. Come September, all eyes will be on Paris as fashion’s next enfant terrible unveils his vision—and begins to write a new chapter in the Gaultier story.
Official portrait of Duran Lantink by Walter Pfeiffer