Haute turbanators: Ace French designer Jean Paul Gaultier's Sikh-inspired line

30 June 2012: Designer Jean Paul Gaultier's love for India reflects in his womenswear collections from time to time.

Like Gaultier, India has been an inspiration to many international design houses and with time, the country has also carved out a significant spot for itself on the global fashion map.

The renowned designer's use of sari gowns, traditional Indian colours and fabrics and stylised lambskin Jodhpurs has already evoked rave reviews in the fashion world.

And with his spring/summer 2013 menswear collection which was showcased in Paris on Thursday, Gaultier of Hermès proved that his love for India is no fleeting romance.

Dressing up his models in Sikh-styled turbans, teamed with various ensembles such as shorts, blazers, tuxedos, T-shirts and overcoats, Gaultier paid a rich tribute once more to the land of many cultures and colours.

The collection was inspired by the travel theme, presenting a globe-trotting fashionable man who understands the very essence of travelling that is cultivating a bigger understanding and respect for various cultures.

He then reflects the same in his wardrobe and style. Talking about his India connect, Gaultier had said in an interview recently: 'In every collection I have done, there is always an Indian inspiration.'

The designer is known to visit the country quite often and owns a vast library of intensely coloured textile swatches here since his first visit to Kolkata in West Bengal and Puri in Orissa, in the 1970s.