Jean Paul Gaultier, one of France's most famous exports, is much more than just a fashion figure. In the United Kingdom he is perhaps best known for his kitschy TV series Eurotrash, which he co-hosted with Frenchman Antoine de Caunes in the mid-1990s. However, to the world he is considered one of the best fashion designers. Although he has enjoyed great success in fashion, he is also recognized for his popular line of Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances.
While technically brilliant, Gaultier has always enjoyed parodying the fashion company. In fact, he has often been credited with redefining many fashion conventions. For example, in the 1980s, he created underwear as an outerwear, culminating in the corset dress and black studded bra that made Madonna famous on her Blonde Ambition tour in 1990. He also tried to dismantle the clichés of masculine styling by creating a skirt for men in 1988.
In 1993, Gaultier launched a range of eponymous fragrances, starting with the first Jean Paul Gaultier perfume for her, called Classique. Gaultier's entry into the world of perfumes was a natural fit, as he was known for saying that the scent was the first thing to wear. Like many of the Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances to follow, Classique comes in a unique torso-shaped bottle. Classique would become for her only the first Jean Paul Gaultier perfume to become a bestseller: Many other popular fragrances followed, such as Fragile from 1999, Madame from 2008 and Scandal, which was launched in 2017.
One of the most famous fragrances in the designer's line has to be the signature Jean Paul Gaultier cologne for men, affectionately known as "man in a can" for its quirky packaging. Other popular types of Jean Paul Gaultier colognes for men include the fresh, spicy Le Beau, the sensual Kokorico, and the unique floral Fleur du Male.