Duran Lantink brought his irreverent sense of humor and experimental approach to Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2027 ready-to-wear collection, balancing the house’s provocative heritage with his own sculptural language. With Jean Paul Gaultier himself watching from the audience, Lantink treated the archive as a starting point rather than a rulebook, turning familiar Gaultier codes into unexpected shapes.

The collection opened with sharply tailored white coats, recalling Gaultier’s long-standing mastery of suiting. From there, more recognizable wardrobe pieces appeared, including red-and-white checked shirts and skirts, kilts, oversized bomber jackets, and a jersey dress finished with a playful flounced hem. These wearable pieces provided a grounded contrast to Lantink’s more eccentric constructions.

The designer’s fascination with the body became particularly apparent in the collection’s three-dimensional details. Gaultier’s iconic cone bra was reimagined with upward-pointing horn-like cups incorporated directly into garments. Lace camisoles were given exaggerated tubular fronts, trench coats featured enlarged collar structures, and swimwear was transformed with rigid elements that curved dramatically across the body.

Some pieces appeared relatively simple from a distance but revealed surprising construction up close. A flowing white halter dress, for example, was designed to sit away from the body, creating an almost suspended effect. The show’s mirrored setting reinforced this interest in distortion, allowing the unusual proportions and sculptural details to appear from multiple perspectives.

Lantink also continued his playful exploration of familiar fashion references, using exaggerated forms without losing the practicality of more conventional pieces. His approach brought a sense of humor to the collection while maintaining the technical precision required to construct such unusual silhouettes.

The finale introduced another playful reference to Gaultier’s history, with models wearing garments decorated with bells. Lantink discovered a bell-covered glove from 1989 in the Gaultier archives and used it as inspiration, connecting his new collection to the house’s exuberant past.

Spring 2027 ultimately positioned Lantink as a natural successor to Gaultier’s tradition of challenging convention. By combining tailoring, wearable sportswear, sculptural construction, humor, and provocative references to the body, he continued developing a new visual language for the house without losing the mischievous spirit that made Jean Paul Gaultier so influential.