Models present creations by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier as part of his Men's Fall Winter 2010-2011 fashion collection, presented in Paris Thursday January 21, 2010. Photo by AP.
The fashion heavyweight infused the wardrobe of silk robe trenches, leather muscle tank tops and slinky boxing leggings with a fighting spirit.
Turtlenecks emblazoned with anatomical muscle prints were paired with low-crotched leggings and a snappy suit made out sweat-pant fabric looked like what Rocky would wear to a black tie event.
Gaultier - who gave the world Madonna's conical bra - continued to borrow from ladies' closets, sending out feminine pieces like skirts and sheer sparkly shirts.
Known for squeezing the last drop out of a theme, Gaultier beat this one to a bloody pulp: Fight-ready boxing gloves in red leather became a must-have accessory, as did face-saving masks, lace-up leather shoes, towels - worn like scarves over 1930s-era suits - and extra-wide belts embossed with Gaultier's logo that were worthy of a champion.
As the male models, including several ultra-beefy mannequins who appeared to be real boxers, strutted their sporty stuff, two women in short shorts and pointy satin bras fought it out in a ring that stood in the place of the runway.
"It's about combat, combating boredom, combatting the reigning depressive state," said Gaultier, who sported a nasty-looking shiner, a split lip and rivulets of fake blood tricking from his temple.
Asked whether he practiced the sport himself, Gaultier said, "no way." He added that when a photographer asked him to take a swipe at a hanging punching bag, he gave it a bear hug instead.
"I don't think these little hands are made for such a sport," he said.
