The Creative Mind Behind Jean Paul Gaultier's Scents

Jean Paul Gaultier is a renowned French designer known for his inclusivity, diversity, and irreverence in the fashion industry. He launched his first fragrance, Classique, in 1993, followed by his first men's fragrance, Le Male, in 1995. Le Male was created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and features top notes of artemisia, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, and mint; heart notes of caraway, cinnamon, and orange blossom; and base notes of amber, cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, and vanilla. The scent is described as a contemporary amber fresh fragrance that is joyful, spirited, and versatile.

Jean Paul Gaultier's background and career

Jean Paul Gaultier is a French fashion designer born in Arcueil, France, in 1952. He grew up in a suburb of Paris with his parents, who worked as a clerk and an accountant, respectively, and his grandmother, Marie Garrabe, who lived nearby and would later introduce him to the world of fashion. As a child, Gaultier showed an affinity for fashion, taking inspiration from the clothing designs he saw on television and in fashion magazines such as Elle. By the time he was 13, he had created a collection of clothing for his mother and grandmother.

At age 18, Gaultier began an apprenticeship at the fashion house of Parisian designer Pierre Cardin. After a year, he moved to work with Jacques Esterel and then Jean Patou. In 1974, he returned to Cardin to manage a boutique in Manila, Philippines, where he designed and produced ready-to-wear clothes for the American market. During this time, he dressed Imelda Marcos, the first lady of the Philippines.

In 1976, Gaultier launched his own line and presented his first collection with nine models at a Paris planetarium. He funded the collection with his own money and that of his friends and family. His cousin helped knit sweaters, the concierge of his apartment sewed, and his boyfriend and business partner, Francis Menuge, designed accessories and handled business arrangements. By 1978, his pieces were sold in some of the most popular boutiques in Paris.

In 1982, Gaultier opened his own fashion house. He created a men's collection in 1984 and, two years later, opened his first boutique in Paris. In 1985, his company made $50 million in sales worldwide. In 1990, he published a largely pictorial autobiography, À nous deux la mode (“Fashion, Here We Come”).

In 1993, Gaultier expanded his product line to include perfumes—marketed in distinctive corset-shaped bottles—and accessories. That same year, he launched his brand's first fragrance, 'Classique', which became an instant success. In 1997, he showed his first haute couture collection, which secured his place in the fashion industry. With support from the Hermès fashion house in Paris, he subsequently opened boutiques in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In 2003, he became the official designer for Hermès, a position he held until 2011.

Gaultier is particularly known for his consistency of style, initially favouring dark colours and later lightening his palette through the addition of salmon, bronze, beige, and turquoise. Typical components of his collections included broad-shouldered jackets, textured or patterned stockings, trench coats, baggy pants, flowing skirts, and the horizontally striped sailor’s shirts that became the signature of his style. He received most of his thematic inspiration from astrology, religious symbols, Celtic designs, calligraphy, tattoos, and regional apparel from around the world.

Gaultier is also known for his lingerie-inspired designs and pushing gender norms. He has dressed some of the biggest names in pop culture, including Madonna, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Kylie Minogue. In addition to his work in fashion, he has designed costumes for several films, including The Fifth Element (1997) and Bad Education (2004). He has also recorded an album and co-hosted a successful British television show called Eurotrash.

In 2020, Gaultier announced his retirement from the fashion industry after 50 years. His final haute couture show during Paris Fashion Week commemorated his 50th anniversary in the industry.

The launch of his first fragrance, Classique

In 1993, Jean Paul Gaultier launched his first fragrance, Classique, a women's fragrance created by Jacques Cavallier. It was an instant success, with its combination of vanilla, orange blossom, and ginger, and its iconic, curvaceous, corseted bottle. The scent captures Gaultier's own scent memories, including touches of nail polish and face powder, swirling with rose at the heart of the fragrance.

The bottle design, a female torso wearing a pink corset, was compared to the corset Gaultier designed for Madonna for her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. The fragrance is packaged in an aluminium can, a motif Gaultier has used in his collections since 1980. He felt that the industrial-style packaging was "a kind of provocation". Some perfume shops did not offer the fragrance because it was considered scandalous.

Classique was originally released as JPGaultier Eau de Parfum in 1993 and was renamed as Classique in 1995. It has been manufactured by Puig since 2016, previously being manufactured by Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International from 1995 until 2015.

The men's fragrance, Le Male, was introduced in 1995 as a counterpart to Classique. It was the first blockbuster creation by maestro Francis Kurkdjian. The two fragrances are often twinned in print ads and cinema/TV commercials.

The launch of Le Male, and its notes

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier was launched in 1995 and was the first male fragrance by the designer. The bottle is in the shape of a male torso and is packaged in what looks like a baked bean tin. The bath products are shaped like paint tubes, and the prestige version of the fragrance features a 'bulb puffer spray'.

Le Male was created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and is an amber fresh scent with spicy, citrus, herbal, and woody accords. The top notes are artemisia, bergamot, cardamom, lavender, and mint. The heart notes are caraway, cinnamon, and orange blossom. The base notes are amber, cedar, sandalwood, tonka bean, and vanilla.

Le Male epitomises the modern man: elegant and sensual yet also courageous and intrepid. This fragrance is a skilful balance of bitter, spicy, soft herbal, floral, sweet woody, and cool peppery tones. It is a joyful and spirited scent, perfect for cooler days.

The other fragrances in the Jean Paul Gaultier line

Jean Paul Gaultier's first fragrance, Classique, was released in 1993 and was followed by Le Male in 1995 and Fragile in 1999. All three fragrances were known for their unusual packaging and compositions.

The brand has since released a plethora of other fragrances, including:

• Scandal Pour Homme Le Parfum Eau de Parfum Intense, a woody scent for men.
• Scandal Le Parfum Eau de Parfum Intense, a version of the above designed for women.
• Ultra Male.
• Le Beau, which features notes of pear and coconut.
• Scandal A Paris.
• Scandal By Night.
• Scandal Pour Homme.
• Scandal.
• La Belle, which features notes of pear and coconut.
• Monsieur Eau du Matin.
• Gaultier 2.
• Kokorico.
• Ma Dame.
• So Scandal!
• La Belle Le Parfum.
• La Belle Fleur Terrible.
• La Belle Paradise Garden.
• Le Beau Male Capitaine Collector.
• Le Beau Male Edition Collector.
• Le Beau Male Summer 2014.
• Le Beau Paradise Garden.
• Cologne Tonique Le Male Summer 2008.
• La Cologne Fleur du Male.
• Le Male Capitaine Collector.
• Le Male Christmas Edition 2024.
• Le Male Collector Edition 2017.
• Le Male Collector Edition 2018.
• Le Male Collector Edition 2022.
• Le Male Collector's Snow Globe.
• Le Male Eau d'Ete 2004.
• Le Male Eau de Toilette Airlines.
• Le Male Eau Fraiche André Edition.
• Le Male Eau Fraiche Gaultier Airlines.
• Le Male Edition Collector.
• Le Male Essence de Parfum.
• Le Male Jean Paul Cool.
• Le Male Les d'Ete 2005.
• Le Male Limited Edition 2009.
• Le Male Love Actually.
• Le Male Pin-Up Collectors Edition.
• Le Male Pirate Edition.
• Le Male Popeye Eau Fraiche.
• Le Male Prestige Edition.
• Le Male Pride Collector.
• Le Male Pride Edition.
• Le Male Shaker Limited Edition.
• Le Male Silver My Skin.
• Le Male Stimulating Body Spray 2006.
• Le Male Summer Fragrance 2009.
• Le Male Superman Eau Fraiche.
• Le Male Supreme Edition.
• Le Male Terrible Shaker.
• Le Male Tonique Cologne.
• Le Male X-Mas Edition 2020.
• Le Male Xmas Limited Edition.
• Le Male Xmas Limited Edition 2021.
• Super Le Male Collector.
• Ma Dame Eau de Parfum.
• Ma Dame Eau Fraiche Summer 2010.
• Ma Dame Kiss Me Love Me.
• Scandal Collector's Snow Globe Edition.
• Scandal Eau de Parfum X-Mas Edition 2020.
• Scandal Pour Homme Absolu.
• Scandal Pour Homme Le Parfum.
• Scandal Xmas Limited Edition 2021.

The designer's other ventures

Jean Paul Gaultier is a French fashion designer known for his irreverent, unconventional designs. In addition to his successful fragrance line, Gaultier has ventured into various other creative fields, leaving his mark on the fashion and entertainment industries.

Fashion

Gaultier's fashion career began in 1970 when he was hired as an assistant by Pierre Cardin, and he established his own label in 1982. He is known for his androgynous designs, blending street styles with haute couture, and playing with traditional gender roles in his fashion shows. Gaultier has designed clothing for both men and women, including skirts and kilts for men, and his iconic women's corsets with cone bras. He has also collaborated with various brands, such as Wolford Hosiery and Nike, and created a unisex collection, JPG by Gaultier, reflecting his idea of fluidity between the sexes.

Costume Design

Gaultier's talent extends to costume design for films and music tours. He created iconic looks for Madonna's 1990 "Blond Ambition World Tour" and 2006 "Confessions Tour," including the famous cone bra. He also designed costumes for "The City of Lost Children" (1995), "The Fifth Element" (1997), "Bad Education" (2004), and "The Skin I Live In" (2011). Additionally, Gaultier has dressed celebrities such as Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Beyoncé for red-carpet events and tours.

Film and Television

Gaultier has also ventured into film and television. He designed a furniture collection for the French brand Roche Bobois and an Evian bottle in 2008. In 2011, he launched his first international exhibition, "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk," which showcased his extensive collection of perfumes and classic clothes. The exhibition toured globally, including stops in Stockholm, New York, London, Melbourne, and Paris. Gaultier has also appeared on television, co-hosting the Channel 4 programme "Eurotrash" from 1993 to 1997 and serving as a guest judge on "Drag Race France" in 2022. In 2024, he announced the production of his first feature animation film.

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