SS96 Jean Paul Gaultier ‘Muscle’ Trompe L’Oeil Collared Longsleeve

French designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 1996 collection set focus on themes of love, beauty and the expression of one’s body. Titled “Cyberbaba”, the show drew inspiration from both the late 1960s hippie movement and new millennia’s tech-centric attitude. While contrasting in theme, Gaultier unveiled a psychedelic indulgence through space-age design, using trompe l’oeil prints as his daring muse. Skin fitting silhouettes were accentuated by free-flowing bottoms, all of which were plastered with graphics, including his infamous ‘X-ray’ motifs and ‘Safe Sex’ prints. In all, the showing stands as a quintessential work of Gaultier’s career, further proving his borderless abilities.

 

Debuting in the Spring of 1996, this longsleeve button up sports the infamous ‘muscle’ graphic atop a multi-coloured base. Using pointillism to depict a chiseled abdomen, chest and back, the Trompe L’oeil technique is manipulated to create a 3D effect throughout the rayon base. Accented by lime green cuffs and a navy blue collar, the longsleeve is finalized with concealed button closures and a draping cut. Tagged a size 40, this piece fits a small, and is in great condition aside from light signs of use.