Duran Lantink could be Jean-Paul Gaultier’s next creative director

While the world of haute couture is still assimilating Ludovic De Saint Sernin’s stunning Le Naufrage for Jean Paul Gaultier, speculation about the next big name to join the Parisian Maison is intensifying. And while the rumours are still in the air, one name stands out as the most logical and desired option: Duran Lantink. The Dutch designer, whose talent has won over both the LVMH competition jury and a plethora of top artists and celebrities, seems destined to continue the legacy of the house that, since its foundation, has been a beacon of subversion, provocation and unparalleled sophistication.

Lantink’s meteoric rise in recent years is no mere coincidence. His recent win of the Karl Lagerfeld Special Jury Prize in the LVMH 2024 competition, followed by his recognition with the ANDAM 2023 Special Prize, reinforces his growing reputation as one of the most provocative designers of his generation. Adding to this success are his forays into the world of entertainment, where he has worked with giants such as Billie Eilish, Beyoncé and Janelle Monáe. His ability to blend the art of design with pop culture has given him a unique visibility, placing him in the orbit of the most relevant names of the moment.

The possible signing of Lantink by Maison Jean Paul Gaultier is not simply a coincidence or a whimsical bet: it has an aesthetic and conceptual logic that is undeniable. Lantink himself, in his style, is a natural heir to Jean Paul Gaultier’s vision: both share an affinity for breaking conventions and redefining the rules of the game. The Dutchman, known for his unexpected volumes, his silhouettes that defy rigidity and his radical use of colours and textures, finds in Gaultier’s legacy a clear source of inspiration, a path he has walked since his beginnings, but which he now, perhaps, has the opportunity to reformulate through his contemporary lens.

Gaultier, who has been a tireless disruptor of the fashion world, has been able to create a unique space in haute couture where experimentation, humour and challenging aesthetics are the norm. In this context, his vision of fashion as a platform for subversion and self-expression has been enriched over the years by the incorporation of guest designers who reinterpret his codes through their own creative prism. De Saint Sernin, Simone Rocha, Glenn Martens, Olivier Rousteing… they have all left their mark on the Maison’s recent history, redefining its identity in ways that are as radical as they are personal.

In this sense, the arrival of Lantink seems not only appropriate, but necessary. Lantink’s ability to play with shapes, challenge rigidity and reinvent the contemporary wardrobe aligns perfectly with the spirit of the house, while his fresh and bold vision could offer the most contemporary interpretation of the Gaultierian codes. It is not just a question of aesthetics: his vision of fashion as a space for unrestricted exploration, his devotion to play with identity and form, is precisely what the Maison is looking for when it invites a creator to join its heritage.

Although no collaboration has yet been made official, talks about this possible deal seem to go beyond mere rumour. Sources close to the industry indicate that Maison Gaultier has been actively exploring the possibility of working with Lantink. The house is also rumoured to be in search of a definitive successor to Florence Tétier, who stepped down as fashion creative director last September. In this context, Lantink could not only be the next to redefine Gaultier’s temporal codes, but in an unexpected twist, he could become the Maison’s new artistic director, taking on the challenge of continuing and expanding the enfant terrible’s legacy into the 21st century.

If such a rise is confirmed, it would come as no surprise. Duran Lantink is a creator whose work has been validated by awards, critics and, most importantly, artists and pop culture. His contemporary vision and ability to challenge convention not only position him as the ideal successor to one of fashion’s most iconic houses, but as the next big name in haute couture.

Only time will tell whether Lantink will take this place in Gaultier’s history, but what is undeniable is that his entry into the maison would be a natural evolution of Gaultier’s work: a tribute to his bold irreverence, but, at the same time, an opportunity for a new creator to appropriate the house’s aesthetic and transform it, once again, into a platform for limitless exploration and innovation. A new chapter in the history of haute couture, with Duran Lantink at the helm.

This is the image that Ludovic deSaint Sernin evokes for Jean Paul Gaultier.