Jean-Paul Gaultier appears to have lost both his mind and his fashion sense.

Oh for heaven’s sake. Is Jean-Paul Gaultier feeling his fashion irrelevancy so much that he has to create pure idiocy on the catwalk? JPG's latest ready-to-wear collection for Hermes is tragic, in more ways than one.

Truly, Jean-Paul, you used to be pretty damn good. From Madge’s gold cone-bra to the ohh-la-la of your perfume bottles, you were doin’ ok.

But what tripe did you present at Paris Fashion Week? These pictures make me seriously wonder about you. I know Hermes is a traditional leather house, but, Jean-Paul, this is horrid. Not only is it terrible, terrible fashion design, but it’s cruel and it’s environmentally schtoopid.

Firstly, let’s talk leather. It’s the most valuable part of an animal’s body, pound for pound, so let’s not pretend that it’s just a convenient by-product of the process that would otherwise go to waste. Let’s also mention the environmental damage caused though the tanning process. Oh, you thought it was all natural and lovely and far, far better than man-made materials? Then how come it doesn’t rot like any other skin that's removed from its owner? That requires some hardcore chemical treatment Jean-Paul.

So, leather. As a vegan, I can’t stand the stuff, but let’s accept for the moment that many people, some vegans included, are happy to wear it for various reasons. Perhaps on their feet. Perhaps as a belt. Perhaps as a wallet. Something that is at least useful. At least. On that premise, Jean-Paul, we'll continue.

As an aviator outfit? Oh my. Are we all going to take to the skies like those magnificent men in their flying machines? I’ll take my air travel commercial, thanks. This is just self-indulgent. And what are those hideous flying goggles? They make her look like a Tusken Raider.

I think this might be croc skin, Jean-Paul. I wouldn’t necessarily want to tangle with one myself (Australian I may be; Steve Irwin I am not), but neither do I want a croc or an alligator farmed and clubbed to death for me (and especially not for something as bloody stupid looking as this).

Now let’s address this one. Apart from the fact that she sure would have a chilly lil’ chest up there in the stratosphere with nothing underneath her flying jacket, is that karacul that I spy? Jean-Paul, karacul lambs are slaughtered at no more than three days old so that you can have their wavy wool pelts. Sometimes, to make their coats even more pristine, their mothers are slaughtered whilst the lamb is still in utero. HSUS presented a report in July 2000, reviewed in March 2001, about the increased use of karacul, and concluded that: “the slaughter of these farmed animals is every bit as cruel, grotesque, and inexcusable as that of any other fur-bearing animals”. Awesome, Jean-Paul! Did you hear that? Grotesque.

Must I go on? Jean-Paul, I don't even want to go into the ethics of this leather jumpsuit. It's ugly.


Jean-Paul Gaultier, please pull your socks up. The use of leather, crocodile skin and other animal pelts in these designs is profligate, cruel and unnecessary.