As Jean Paul Gaultier took a bow at the close of his SS20 show, he announced that he was officially “retiring” from fashion. However, instead of looking for a replacement to fill his shoes, Jean Paul Gaultier was to continue as a collaborative venture, enlisting separate designers for each and every couture collection. This – quite unorthodox – evolution was thus inaugurated by Chitose Abe of Sacai, who became the first outsider to step up to the Gaultier helm, splicing and dicing its breton-striped codes in the process.

And now, Glenn Martens, artistic director of Y/Project, and more recently Diesel, has been announced as the brand’s next designer-in-residence – marking his first foray into couture. While Martens’ handwriting differs greatly from Gaultier’s, both designers are united by irreverence, wit, and a disregard for tradition, subverting the norms of tailoring with a twisted, wry smile. Plus, it’s a full circle moment for Martens, who started his career as a designer under Gaultier after graduating from Antwerp’s Royal Academy. The duo’s first collection will debut in January 2022.

But until then, Jean Paul Gaultier is satiating its desires with a devilish Lil Nas X collaboration, which dropped this week. Elsewhere, Rick Owens became Shein’s latest plagiarism victim while London Fashion Week came to a close – with talk of Fashion East and Steven Stokey-Daley dominating its final days. As Balenciaga announced an IRL and URL Fortnight collection, Chopova Lowena finally acknowledged the existence of freaky-fashion-loving men. Otherwise, Kourtney Kardashian was at it – again – with Megan Fox, while Fendi swished into Milan Fashion Week with a Studio 54-indebted SS22 collection, and a rumoured Versace collaboration. 

For anything else that may have passed you by in fashion news this week, check out the gallery below.