Fashion

JPG Is Coming To A 7-Eleven Near You

by Emily Kirkpatrick

This Paris Fashion Week marks the first in a long time that Jean-Paul Gaultier will not be making an appearance. The designer officially retired his ready-to-wear line last season with an over-the-top theatrical runway show, choosing to instead focus exclusively on his lucrative fragrances and his couture collection. Gaultier's semi-retirement has also freed him up to work on a number of new projects — case in point, Jean Paul Gaultier is designing a capsule collection with Seven & i, a Japanese holding company.

The collaboration between the designer and the brand will debut as a 50-piece womenswear collection entitled "Jean Paul Gaultier for Sept Premières." This will also mark the launch of the Sept Premières branch of Seven & i, which will be the company's first venture into apparel. The collection will include outerwear, tops, bottoms, dresses, and accessories beginning at $32 and maxing out at around $242, a far cry from the prices of any apparel Gaultier has made to date. The collection will be sold beginning in October with plans to produce another collection for Spring 2016.

While the fashion set will be elated to hear this news, unfortunately, this collection will only be sold in Japan at Ito Yokado and Sogo and Seibu department stores. The company will also be launching a new shopping portal along with the collection that will allow customers to buy Gaultier items online and then pick them up at any of the 17,000 7-Eleven convenience stores owned by Seven & i across Japan. You heard that right — in the most improbable of high-meets- low moments, Jean-Paul Gaultier will be sold at 7-Eleven.

If all goes well with this debut initiative, Seven & i plan to continue inviting designers of Gaultier's ilk to collaborate with them on this fast fashion meets fast food endeavor. Jeremy Scott, if you're reading this, please be next in line.