Jean Paul Gaultier has been described as "inventive," "meticulous," "avant-garde," "provocative" and "humanitarian." His uncanny gift for tapping the old and the new, the high and the low, the modern and the tribal, glamour and street punk, the uber-feminine and the uber-masculine have made him one of the most sought-after designers and couturiers of his generation. The Lycée Français de New York pays tribute to his breathtaking creations and celebrates his generous spirit, individuality and leadership in the arts.

Born in France in 1952, Mr. Gaultier seemed destined for a life in fashion and the arts. By age 13, he was designing clothes for his mother and grandmother, and doodling ideas on school notebooks. His celebrated career began at the age of 17, when he boldly sent sketches to famous couture houses. Pierre Cardin promptly took note, and on his 18th birthday, Gaultier became Cardin's assistant. Gaultier's first solo collection debuted in 1976, and since then, he has introduced and overseen multiple couture collections every year, each time introducing groundbreaking new concepts with his signature eye for detail and technical prowess.

Jean Paul Gaultier's success can be attributed to raw talent, hard work, sheer determination and devotion. Very early on, he understood the impact fashion could have on the issues and preoccupations of a multicultural society, and he used the medium of fashion to shake up—with invariable good humor—established societal and aesthetic codes. His shows are fabulous productions, including models of all ages, shapes and sizes from around the world. Through twists, transformations, transgressions, and reinterpretations of established fashion codes, he erases the boundaries between culture, class, gender and race, and celebrates the right to be different.

Fearless and passionate in any endeavor, he has designed for consumers, as well as film, music and dance. His legendary artistic collaborations and vision are found around the world in popular music, in France (Yvette Horner and Mylène Farmer) and on the international scene (Madonna); in film (Pedro Almodóvar, Peter Greenaway, Luc Besson, Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet); and in contemporary dance (Angelin Preljocaj, Régine Chopinot and Maurice Béjart).

He now designs couture and ready-to-wear lines for both men and women. Gaultier received the coveted French Designer of the Year Award in 1987 and the International Award at the American Fashion Awards, presented by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2000. Mr. Gaultier is currently the subject of a major international traveling exhibition celebrating his work.

Perhaps Nathalie Bondil, director and chief curator of the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal who conceived of the exhibit said it best, "[Jean Paul Gaultier] offers an open-minded vision of society, a crazy, sensitive, funny, sassy world in which everyone can assert his or her own identity, a world without discrimination...beneath Jean Paul Gaultier's wit and irreverence lie a true generosity of spirit and a very powerful message for society. His humanist aesthetic touches me deeply." It touches all of us.