Date: c. 1999
Origin: Austria
Fabric: Nylon/elastane blend
Brand: Jean Paul Gaultier for Wolford
These fine nylon tights have been knitted with a contrasting yarn pattern and later appliquéd with further nylon motifs in a Trompe L’Oeil style, to emulate an ensemble of seamed stockings, garter belt and high cut knickers. The design is from a collaboration between Haute Couture design house Jean Paul Gaultier, and luxury hosiery specialists Wolford.
The Wolford brand was founded in 1949 in Vorarlberg, Austria, by Reinhold Wolff and Walter Palmers. The brand specialised in genuine and artificial silk stockings. The company has expanded worldwide, and alongside hosiery also produces a range of bodywear for both men and women. The label continues to manufacture its products in Europe, using factories in Austria and Slovenia. The brand has famously collaborated with numerous renowned fashion designers, including Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood.
Jean Paul Gaultier founded his eponymous label in 1977 in Paris, France, and soon became renowned as the ‘Enfant Terrible’ of French fashion for his daring and playful approach to design. The label encompasses a fashion empire that covers haute couture, ready to wear, eyewear and perfume. Many of his designs have been strongly influenced by historical lingerie designs, with famous silhouettes including dramatically shaped corsetry and exagerrated bullet bras. The designer has collaborated on a number of ‘ready to wear’ projects, including with the label Wolford in the late 1990s, and with La Perla in the early 2010s.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
