Alan Crocetti’s jewellery for Jean Paul Gaultier has us all at sea
Jewellery designer Alan Crocetti has teamed up with the Jean Paul Gaultier studio to reinterpret the brand’s most iconic motifs
Alan Crocetti has announced a new collaboration with the Jean Paul Gaultier studio. He is one of five designers to partner with the brand for a mischievous ready-to-wear collection that spans clothing and jewellery. Crocetti, behind the jewellery designs, joins Nix Lecourt Mansion, Ottolinger, Palomo Spain and Marvin M’Toumo in reinterpretating Gaultier’s distinct aesthetic, taking the fashion designer’s most iconic looks as inspiration.
Crustacean accessories and rhinestone mesh bodysuits nod to Gaultier’s fantasy maritime world, while sailor stripes, a sailor hat emblazoned with Jean Paul Gaultier’s signature, and sailor’s trousers cheekily unbuttoned at the back to expose the bottom deliver the requisite playfulness.
 
Crocetti is inspired by Gaultier’s iconic conical bras for ubiquitous sharply pointed silhouettes, drawing gold rings in curved geometric forms. Other pieces look to Gaultier’s nautical fascinations, with mermaid tails diving into the whorls of the ear, and jaunty knots around the arms and neck.
‘Jean Paul’s one of the trailblazers of using irreverence to materialise futurism and street-culture with social-political undertones,’ says Crocetti. ‘His approach to inclusivity has always spoken volumes to me. With that said, I like to think that we share this common value. Like his work, mine is laden with inspirations from my surroundings, but most of all it attempts to disrupt the norm and give people options to feel seen and validated.’
A flamboyant, mischievous campaign accompanies the new pieces, which capture the wit of Gaultier’s original vision. ‘I believe this industry takes itself too seriously and needs a playful edge,’ adds Crocetti. ‘Humour allows people to connect with the designs and see in them opportunities to let go and just be themselves.’
The designs join pieces from Crocetti’s new Inferno collection (below), which mimic the fluidity of fire. Pearls and bright stones set in burning golden cups form earrings, with wisps of gold vermeil twisting to form earcuffs, and pearls encircled in jagged flames making for offbeat bracelets.
 
 
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Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys travelling, visiting artists' studios and viewing exhibitions around the world, and has interviewed artists and designers including Maggi Hambling, William Kentridge, Jonathan Anderson, Chantal Joffe, Lubaina Himid, Tilda Swinton and Mickalene Thomas.
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