French and American tastes could be described as oil and water. Frogs’ legs and a penchant for coffee and cigarettes are far removed from the fast-food nation mixed with celebrity pop culture that America may be known for.
In fashion, that doesn’t really matter. The universal brilliance of one nation’s designs may not correlate to another’s, but the grandeur can transcend any stereotype.
In the case of Jean Paul Gaultier for Target, the attempt to bring Parisian chic to an American audience hasn’t translated too well.
With the success of Target’s recent and positively lovely collaborations with Rodarte and Liberty ““ American and British designers, respectively ““ it would be imagined that adding a French designer to the harmonious collaboration cocktail would be wondrous, too.
I’m afraid not. I wanted this collection to be glorious, as a firm fan of French design, particularly Gaultier, and the chance to buy a piece of his genius at a fraction of the cost seemed too good to be true. It was.
Even the biggest fashion fan has to admit, Gaultier’s eccentricity mixed with regular everyday clothing is far removed from a transatlantic dream.
The new 20-look collection comes across as more of a cross-continent Frankenstein: monstrous.
A few words could perhaps some up the collection: trying too hard.
The collection mismatched wannabe chic to a new level, and does some of the individual pieces a disservice. The avant-garde nature of Gaultier’s designs are lost in their attempt to become lower-end and accessible.
The collection looks thoughtless and cheap; even the models in the look book are imitations of models Chanel Iman and Yasmin Le Bon.
The collection does have some wearable pieces: a stylish and versatile trench coat with pocket detailing that could potentially be dressed up and down in every season, not just fall.
And the draped, red tank dress and the yellow halter neck juxtapose sexy and stylish, flirty and feminine with bold and intriguing color. On the downside, the patterns are dated and the hemlines too long.
The pinstripe suit is ’90s Bonnie and Clyde but seems far-fetched for the everyday young woman.
The ’90s throwback continues with the schoolgirl pinafore skirts that, in their shiny material, recall early Britney Spears.
Despite his celebrity fan base, including the likes of Madonna and Kylie Minogue, I cannot see any of them endorsing any of his pieces on the red carpet like Natalie Portman did with Rodarte for Target.
The collection has been selling out online but has been left practically untouched in stores, a testament perhaps to the disappointing look and feel of the clothing in person. This time, the name isn’t enough.
The couture has kept costs down with prices starting at $19.99 and not going much more than $60, with the exception of the leather jackets that retail for $200.
More than just the price has been cut; the ostentatious in-your-face Gaultier fashion doesn’t seem appropriate here.
Fashion-savvy women often fantasize about a closet full of couture, and that’s what many big designers’ store collaborations offer.
But in this case, I’ll swap reality for fantasy and keep Gaultier couture in my dreams and his Target collection on the rack.