RUNWAY: Jean Paul Gaultier SS12

After severing all his ties with Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier sold a controlling stake in his eponymous line to Spanish group Puig in April. The corporate restructuring of that exchange, from Hermès to Puig, was his reason for the toned down runway show. In actuality, he called the SS12 show a "presentation". Nevertheless, the clothes mirrored the less formal feel of the show, with a plethora of Hawaiian prints, from the first look all the way to the tuxedo shorts, the look right before the beautiful array of sailor stripes. Spring/Summer 2012 still showed Gaultier's penchant for playful clothes; the finale was quite spectacular.