X marked spot at Jean Paul Gaultier's France show

PARIS (AP) — The alphabet's most suggestive letter — X — marked the spot in a rollicking, theatrical runway show Saturday by Jean Paul Gaultier that acted out the French designer's fetishistic impulses.

The man who gave the world Madonna's conical bra took his exploration of fetishism one step further with the winter 2010 ready-to-wear show, which ended with two models tearing at one another's hair while rolling around in a mud bath.

It took a dominatrix, clad in black satin and brandishing a whip, to separate the two. They limped down the catwalk, their faces smeared, their hair disheveled and their looks lost beneath a thick layer of mud.

But it's a safe bet that whatever it was they were wearing bore a letter X. Nearly every piece in the collection — from slinky cocktail dresses to menswear suits to fur coats — bore at least one.

Some were bold strokes, like the purple paneling that crisscrossed the bust of an army drab military-cut suit. Other Xs were more subtle, worked into the fishnet mesh panels on a suggestive sheath dress which, given the choice between concealing and revealing, couldn't make up its mind.

The letter X "is about fetishism, it's about desire, its about lots of things," Gaultier said with an impish grin.

He borrowed from the dominatrix's wardrobe, sending out thigh-high leather boots, black masks and lavish fur coats worn with little underneath. Some models wore leather hoods that stretched over their heads like a second skin and were outfitted with mesh paneling over their eyes.

Outside Gaultier's headquarters, where his raucous runway shows are held, it was no less dramatic: Dozens of animal rights protesters carrying signs with graphic photos of skinned animals shouted "Gaultier, assassin!"



Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.








Mickey Mouse sets rosy tone at French fashion show

PARIS (AP) — Fashion designer Jeremy Scott has just the antidote for crisis-induced malaise: The world's favorite optimist, Mickey Mouse!

The American-born designer, whose pop-culture-inspired prints have won him a cult following among fashionistas and celebrities, sent out his winter 2010 pret-a-porter collection Saturday inspired by the beloved cartoon character.

"When he came in 1930, in the middle of the Depression and all of those horrible things, he brought so much joy," Scott told reporters backstage. "And I thought, 'That's kind of where we are now. Why not Mickey Mouse?'"

He adopted Mickey's colors, black, white, red and a splash of yellow, for his palette, sending out graphic sweater dresses in black, little red dresses covered with Mickey's iconic profile and a skirt emblazoned with oversized telephone keys in canary yellow.

A bulky scarf and coat were made from white gloves with black piping that looked like Mickey had just slipped them off.

Other standout pieces included a bustier, dress and coat covered with bright, plastic buttons and a simple, swingy yellow coat that proved Scott can do normal, if he tries.

Scott's use of kitschy, pop-culture icons helped forge his reputation as a master of low-meet-high art, and Saturday's show didn't disappoint. Beyond Mickey, there were dresses covered in black telephones, their coiled cords tracing a messy web across the red background.

Rap superstar Kanye West praised the show as great.

"I love the colors," West said. He was dressed for the occasion in a sweater with an oversized pink poodle — signed Jeremy Scott, of course.

Other front row guests at the show — held in a gloomy hall in a Paris medical school — included Peaches Geldof, daughter of activist-rocker Bob Geldof, and singer Beth Ditto.



Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.