“Where Elegance Meets Art and Wit”—Mouna Ayoub on the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture She’s Selling at Auction

Mouna Ayoub, one of many world’s most famous couture shoppers, is promoting a few of her Gaultier Couture appears to be like. The sale, “Jean Paul Gaultier, The Couture Years, The Mouna Ayoub Assortment,” of 41 heaps will happen on November 25 in Paris, a collaboration between the homes of the French capital’s Maurice Public sale and London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions. You’ll accuse me of hyperbole right here so accuse away, however that is, I child you not, a serious, ma-juh sale.

Flicking by way of the catalog provides a lot of heart-stopping moments from Gaultier’s superlative collections: the autumn 1998 black night trench and halter robe that goes beneath it (a miraculous feat of chicness—and much more miraculous if you see the inside corseted workings of the costume); the taffeta blouson and floor-length kilt—the latter totally beaded—from the identical assortment; a strapless robe from spring 1999 magically frothed up from light denim and showgirl feathers; a Prince of Wales verify pantsuit from fall 2000; a night costume lavished with beads as a tribute to not solely Paris however extra particularly the Eiffel Tower and the Folies Bergere, from fall 2000; spring 2003’s denim dungarees which might be very The Easy Life had been it not for the truth that they’re made out of silk crepe coated with a gazillion teeny tiny beads; and, but extra beads for a crop jacket, bra prime, and skirt, from fall 2012, from a group that was impressed by Amy Winehouse. Many of those attractive ensembles had been, within the basic high fashion custom, given names: The denim feathery costume is L’Ecume des Jours, which suggests Froth of the Daydream, whereas the Winehouse tribute look is—and this wants no translation—What A Fuckery.

Mouna Ayoub and I chatted by way of Zoom final week to speak about what her Gaultier Couture items have meant to her, and why the designer and they’re so particular to her; Gaultier, for his half, says of Ayoub, “Mouna appreciates vogue not just for carrying but additionally for its artistry, treating every garment as a novel creation—and she or he at all times chosen essentially the most iconic, consultant designs!”

In the meantime, I used to be completely happy to be chatting along with her. I’d first heard of Ayoub years in the past after I lived in London. Over lunch there, a visiting Michael Kors had instructed me he’d met Ayoub on her yacht, as she had been shopping for tons of his many-ply cashmere sweaters. At one level, Kors recalled with amusing, she had mid-conversation, whereas discussing his garments, leant over to him, affectionately grasped his arm, and mentioned, “Michael, you might be my Hole.” Ayoub roared with laughter after I recounted this story to her, and she or he was simply as passionate and spirited about Gaultier and his couture.

Mouna, why did you’re feeling now was to promote a few of your Gaultier Couture?

Properly [laughs] I’m older, and I’ve modified loads—my model is similar, however my life-style is completely different. I nonetheless go to Cannes and I nonetheless like to put on my Gaultier, however he doesn’t design the couture anymore. Pals of mine have been determined to get items from my assortment—they’d seen me on the purple carpet in his creations over time—however they needed to purchase them from me immediately, however I don’t need to do enterprise with my buddies. It was higher to simply do the public sale.