London-based accessories brand Jimmy Choo and the French house of Jean Paul Gaultier have collaborated on an exclusive collection of women’s shoes. The two fashion houses, whose parallel legacies span multi-faceted cultural mixes, a love of craft and an ideology of glamorous rebellion, have come together to create six shoe styles. The plexiglass wedge (etched with the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben, recognizable landmarks of London and Paris respectively), over-the-knee boot, slingback, mule and pumps employ themes of trompe l’oeil, sexuality, rebel elegance and couture craftsmanship. “Jean Paul Gaultier is an icon–as a man, and as a brand. I have adored his work for as long as I can remember, and he has inspired me my entire life in fashion,” says Jimmy Choo‘s creative director Sandra Choi. “I was honored and incredibly excited to be able to reinterpret his legacy, the meaning of his work and his world, alongside Florence Tétier through the lens of Jimmy Choo. What I found was a kindred spirit–both in Gaultier as a house, and in Florence as a woman. We share outlooks and beliefs that we were able to translate to this collection, which celebrates craft, the distinct DNA of both these beloved brands and–appropriately enough–the power and strength of individuality.” The leather over-the-knee boot is inspired by Gaultier’s groundbreaking Les Tatouages collection (spring/summer 1994) while the corset slingback (with criss-cross lacing across an open vamp in white, silver and black and denim) channels Gaultier’s underwear as outwear ethos. “I thought it was a great match, because for me, Jimmy Choo is like the Gaultier of shoes–craft meets rebellion. Gaultier is a strong brand with a strong couture identity, and we really want to partner with people who have a savoir faire that we don’t have,” says Jean Paul Gaultier’s creative director Florence Tétier. “Jimmy Choo has this great expertise, in leather goods and shoes. Both Gaultier and Jimmy Choo are about empowering people–this is what Monsieur Gaultier has always done in his work, and Jimmy Choo too–it’s a great synergy.” The campaign stars Kylie Minogue.
