Jean Paul Gaultier's AW26 Collection Used 3D-Printed Pieces on the Runway

3D printing made it to the Paris couture runway this season.

Jean Paul Gaultier's Autumn/Winter 2026-27 collection, shown in Paris in July, included five looks built around 3D-printed components. Creative director Duran Lantink worked with designer ROMI and French service Sculpteo to produce pieces that could not be sewn or molded in the traditional way.

The printed parts started in raw nylon and TPU, then went through hours of hand finishing before they reached the runway. Look 7 began as a TPU bustier printed by Sculpteo. The atelier sanded and primed the piece, then repeatedly dipped it in tinted latex to match the model's skin. Freckles, moles, and separate latex nipples were added by hand.

Look 11 is a guipure dress with a 3D-printed bodice and domed skirt structure. Maison du Flock laid fiber directly onto the shell by hand, creating the textured surface seen on the runway. The same look included a burgundy and blue colorway.

Look 19, the snake scales dress, is made from thousands of individual PA12 scales. Each scale was printed separately on an SLS system, then sewn onto the garment in overlapping rows. The result is a rigid surface that moves like fabric because the panels flex against each other.

Look 26 started with a 3D body scan of the model. ROMI reworked the scan in modeling software, adding animal-like protrusions until the torso resembled a feathered serpent. Sculpteo printed the TPU sections, which were assembled and covered in pink feathers by Paris plumassier Maison Février.

Look 32 is a burgundy bodysuit built around a 3D-printed core. Whitaker Malem formed hand-dyed leather over the base into an armored shell, a process that took roughly eight hours of dying alone before any cutting or sewing began.

The collection shows what 3D printing actually contributes to high fashion: geometry that cannot be cut and sewn, produced on a schedule that leaves no room for trial and error. The printer made the shape. The ateliers made it couture.