Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

Protégé of Jean-Paul Gaultier joins Esmod Dubai

New Associate Artistic & Creative Director to infuse avant garde haute couture expertise into students

Budding fashion designers in the Middle East now have an exclusive opportunity to learn from one of the best in the fashion business as the French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, the leading fashion school in the region, recently announced an agreement that will make Christophe Beaufays, Designer and Creative Assistant of world-renowned French haute couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, as Esmod Dubai's new Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr Beaufays will be mainly responsible for establishing the university's creative direction and ensuring that the creations of Esmod Dubai students are in tune with international fashion trends.

Mr. Beaufays, being part of world renowned designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s success, will also perform a host of other creative duties at Esmod Dubai, including art direction of the university's fashion shows; providing creative guidelines to students; developing their creativity and skills in style and model-making; working with teachers to achieve the director’s creative and quality objectives; as well as preparing students to become fashion leaders of the Middle East fashion industry. Jean Paul Gaultier is behind some of the most iconic fashion creations of the last ten years – Madonna’s infamous cone-bra for her ‘Blond Ambition’ Tour, Luc Besson’s ‘The Fifth Element’ costumes, and wardrobes of Marilyn Manson and Kylie Minogue to name just a few.

Commenting on his move to Dubai, Christophe Beaufays said: "Dubai has been acclaimed as the fashion hub of the Middle East and it gives me great pleasure to be associated with and be part of Dubai's continuing transformation into becoming a force to reckon with in the global fashion industry. I have a personal interest in the culture of this region and teaming up with Esmod Dubai, which is the leader in the fashion education domain in the Middle East, was only natural. I have actually been fascinated by the dynamism and vision of Esmod Dubai directors, and having discussed my ideas with them we have identified areas where we can enhance the learning experience and contribute to the creative development of the students. We are definitely moving in the right direction and I am sure that this collaboration will help produce a new generation of high-fashion luminaries from the Middle East.”

Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder, French Fashion University Esmod Dubai, said: "It has been our primary objective to continue to refine and enhance our specialised fashion courses and this is reaffirmed by the arrival of multi-awarded Christophe Beaufays as Esmod Dubai's Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Mr. Beaufays, who has been working in Paris with Gaultier, one of the most daring and influential designers of our times, has extensive experience not only as a professional fashion designer, but also as a lecturer in prestigious fashion schools at Parsons School of Design in New York and at the IFPME School in Liège, Belgium, and also as a jury member of exclusive shows and exhibitions. Being both a successful fashion designer and an educator makes him an invaluable addition to Esmod Dubai's distinguished team of fashion professors and consultants.”

“Moreover, the fact that Christophe Beaufays joins Esmod Dubai while continuing to be Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Creative Assistant, contributing in the creation of Gaultier’s globally acclaimed haute couture collections, makes this move all the more significant for us. To my knowledge, Esmod Dubai students are the only ones having the chance to develop their skills on a daily basis with a designer from a true avant garde brand in the fashion industry,” she added.

As Designer and Creative Assistant, Mr. Beaufays works directly with Gaultier in concept development, research and creations for haute couture collections; styling, fittings; and all kinds of experimentations on fabrics effects, volumes, draping and vintage shopping among others.

Mr. Beaufays's duties at Esmod Dubai include serving as program coordinator, infusing students with leading fashion trends, mentoring first and second year students, and monitoring their progress and achievements, while also being in charge of the third-year students’ final collections. Beaufays will also offer consultancy services to leading local fashion houses.

Esmod Dubai has been renowned for producing quality students, including Moza al Mazrou, who won the Splash Award last month and showcased her first collection during the Dubai Fashion Week. Al Mazrou studied fashion design and pattern drafting at Esmod Dubai. Since its inception in 2006, Esmod Dubai has been accommodating a steadily growing number of students in its mission to capitalise on the region’s booming fashion industry and the steady drift of the Middle Eastern consumer towards haute couture. The Dubai campus now embraces students from 47 different countries, of which over 40 per cent are GCC nationals and UAE locals.