Who is Duran Lantink, the new creative director of Jean Paul Gaultier?

by Léa Zetlaoui.

Publié le 15 april 2025. Modifié le 16 April 2025.

Duran Lantink: an avant-garde designer

As a rising talent with a meteoric trajectory, Duran Lantink has taken the fashion world by storm in just two years, establishing himself as one of the most forward-thinking figures of his generation. On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Dutch designer was awarded the prestigious Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the 2024 LVMH Prize ceremony, presented to him by British actor Robert Pattinson.

This accolade crowns Lantink’s visionary talent and adds to an already impressive list of achievements, including the special ANDAM Prize he won in 2023. “Winning this prize is really amazing because it will help me grow my brand. In the upcoming seasons, I want to focus on accessories. I’ve always wanted to design bags, shoes, eyewear, and jewelry, but it hasn’t been possible until now,” he explained in an interview with Numéro.

Though his name has been everywhere in recent months, Duran Lantink first made a splash in 2018 with Janelle Monáe’s music video Pynk. The clip went viral, largely thanks to a vagina-shaped pair of pants worn by the American singer and her dancers, designed by Lantink himself.

While he denies having created the bold piece to provoke, he acknowledges that the garment reflects his vision of fashion as playful and politically engaged. “I don’t want to be overly camp, but I love to play and flirt with that aesthetic. I grew up in an environment that fully embraced queer identity, and I think that’s a core part of who I am. My goal is just to make exciting things that reflect my values. I believe that joy is a form of acceptance, and that it’s intrinsically linked to queerness,” he says.

A melting pot of influences

Riding the wave of his recent fame, Lantink launched his eponymous label in 2019, only to see his momentum disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until Paris Fashion Week in March 2023 that he was able to present his debut runway show, laying the foundation for a minimalist yet radical fashion rooted in upcycling.

A practice he adopted in childhood, when he would create from clothes and fabrics found in his family’s closets. “My mom was very free-spirited, and I grew up surrounded by drag queens and people in designer clothes. I was exposed to creative fashion from a very young age, and that shaped who I am today,” he says. He cites Walter Van Beirendonck and Jean Paul Gaultier as major artistic influences, and his collections radiate a similar sense of joy and irreverence—though in a wholly unique style.

Duran Lantink’s silhouettes leave a lasting impression thanks to their manipulation of body and proportion, in a spirit reminiscent of Comme des Garçons’ legendary Spring/Summer 1997 show. Season after season, he challenges aesthetic conventions with garments that fascinate: compact padding adds rounded volume to shoulders, hips, and chests, while the body is revealed through abbreviated cuts or sheer tulle inserts placed in unexpected locations. This purity and power of form are further emphasized by the austere color palette the designer favors. After winning over artists like Billie Eilish and Beyoncé and captivating the fashion world, Duran Lantink is just getting started.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s new creative director

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Jean Paul Gaultier announced Duran Lantink as its new creative director—the first official successor to the French designer, who stepped down from his brand in 2020 and had since entrusted its haute couture studio to guest designers.

“For me, Jean Paul Gaultier is a genius. He’s part of a generation of designers who opened the doors to freedom of expression, without ever having to apologize for who they were. Becoming the Creative Director of the House today is a true honor,” said Lantink in a press release.

He continued: “To me, Gaultier is the ultimate brand—one that combines a radical fashion vision with unparalleled craftsmanship. It’s also a house that constantly challenges the status quo. It transcends fashion by integrating all cultural disciplines, creating a perpetual creative movement. Jean Paul Gaultier has redefined the language of clothing and how we wear it in the street.”

Duran Lantink will present his first collection for Jean Paul Gaultier at the Spring/Summer 2026 Fashion Week in September 2025.