No one knows the power of sex appeal and shock value better than Jean Paul Gaultier, whose brand was built on his mastery of both. And that’s why his sophomoric stunt of a show Saturday night was so disappointing; Gaultier should have known better. He is, after all, one of fashion’s most powerful creators and instigators, who has incited social discussions by putting men in skirts and drawing inspiration from Hasidic Jews. By that measure, the tawdry nightclub shtick that ended with a staged mud-wrestling catfight felt beneath him.

 

If Gaultier’s effort to entertain his audience — fashion does love a theme — was appreciated, his underestimation of its theatrical and fashion standards was not. It showed how easily sex and money, two subjects with endless potential to intrigue, can fall flat. To that end, Gaultier sought to titillate with an X-rated affair, as in the letter X, which was inexplicably emblazoned on silk dresses and as decorative sheer inserts on the front and sides of cocktail attire. From there, things went bondage on trenches strapped with big buckles, some with hoods that veiled the eyes, dominatrix-style. There were dresses sporting harness-like straps and a relentless fishnet motif that turned up on all manner of things, from fur coats to quilted jackets to the print on a silk blouse. Out of everything, the most wearable and appealing looks were an unfettered, cap- sleeve velvet dress and the mannish suits that opened the show.

 

The rest felt like an attempt to revisit Gaultier’s enfant terrible days, which are better left in the past.