Jean Paul Gaultier Officially Announces "The End"

Jean Paul Gaultier has announced its official end. JPG's Instagram has removed its profile picture with the bio description amended to read, "The end of an era." The brand also shared a cryptic post with the words "The End" in bold font, in tandem with the JPG logo.

The French designer recently announced his retirement in January 2020, however, he assured his fans that though he is stepping back, his eponymous label will remain. Last season, he took to Twitter announced that he had chosen sacai's own Chitose Abe to be the first to apply her own interpretation on the house of JPG. Abe is expected to present the collection in July at Paris couture.

In a previous statement Abe said, "I have a long-held admiration for Jean Paul’s unique vision of subversive femininity and his originality, both of which I’ve strived towards in my work since the beginning. It’s a true honour to be given the opportunity to be custodian of his house as the first designer of this project."

Given that Abe is set to reveal her reimagination of the house of Jean Paul Gaultier this summer, it is unlikely that the brand is shuttering its doors. In regards to the social media announcement, some have drawn comparisons to Bottega Veneta's recent social media strategy. However, the label has yet to confirm if its latest posting will indicate a new strategic transition.