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

Mouna Ayoub, one of the world’s most renowned couture clients, is selling some of her Gaultier Couture looks. The sale, “Jean Paul Gaultier, The Couture Years, The Mouna Ayoub Collection,” of 41 lots will take place on November 25 in Paris, a collaboration between the houses of the French capital’s Maurice Auction and London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions. You’ll accuse me of hyperbole here so accuse away, but this is, I kid you not, a major, ma-juh sale.

Flicking through the catalog gives lots of heart-stopping moments from Gaultier’s superlative collections: the fall 1998 black evening trench and halter gown that goes under it (a miraculous feat of chicness—and even more miraculous when you see the inner corseted workings of the dress); the taffeta blouson and floor-length kilt—the latter entirely beaded—from the same collection; a strapless gown from spring 1999 magically frothed up from faded denim and showgirl feathers; a Prince of Wales check pantsuit from fall 2000; an evening dress lavished with beads as a tribute to not only Paris but more specifically the Eiffel Tower and the Folies Bergere, from fall 2000; spring 2003’s denim dungarees which would be very The Simple Life were it not for the fact that they are made out of silk crepe covered with a gazillion teeny tiny beads; and, yet more beads for a crop jacket, bra top, and skirt, from fall 2012, from a collection that was inspired by Amy Winehouse. Many of these gorgeous ensembles were, in the classic haute couture tradition, given names: The denim feathery dress is L’Ecume des Jours, which means Froth of the Daydream, while the Winehouse tribute look is—and this needs no translation—What A Fuckery.

The fall 1998 black evening trench and halter gown, with an estimate of 4,000-6,000 euros.

Photo: George Mavrikos

The fall 1998 black evening halter gown, echoing the double-breasted look of the coat.

Photo: George Mavrikos

A closer look at the intricate inner workings of the dress, which required 68 hours.

Photo: George Mavrikos

Mouna Ayoub and I chatted via Zoom last week to talk about what her Gaultier Couture pieces have meant to her, and why the designer and they are so special to her; Gaultier, for his part, says of Ayoub, “Mouna appreciates fashion not only for wearing but also for its artistry, treating each garment as a unique creation—and she always selected the most iconic, representative designs!”

Meanwhile, I was happy to be chatting with her. I’d first heard of Ayoub years ago when I lived in London. Over lunch there, a visiting Michael Kors had told me he’d met Ayoub on her yacht, as she had been buying tons of his many-ply cashmere sweaters. At one point, Kors recalled with a laugh, she had mid-conversation, while discussing his clothes, leant over to him, affectionately grasped his arm, and said, “Michael, you are my Gap.” Ayoub roared with laughter when I recounted this story to her, and she was just as passionate and spirited about Gaultier and his couture.

A strapless gown from spring 1999 magically frothed up from faded denim and showgirl feathers. Estimate: 25,000-35,000 euros.

Photo: George Mavrikos

A back view of the look, where faded distressed denim dressed up to the nines with ostrich feathers.

A closeup of the feathers—the work for this dress took 64 hours.

Photo: George Mavrikos

Mouna, why did you feel now was to sell some of your Gaultier Couture?

Well [laughs] I’m older, and I’ve changed a lot—my style is the same, but my lifestyle is different. I still go to Cannes and I still love to wear my Gaultier, but he doesn’t design the couture anymore. Friends of mine have been desperate to get pieces from my collection—they’d seen me on the red carpet in his creations over the years—but they wanted to buy them from me directly, but I don’t want to do business with my friends. It was better to just do the auction.