Jean-Paul Gaultier, Le Male

These two sailors arm wrestled in print ads that ran in OUT magazine in December 1996.

The Gaultier brand entered the gay market as far back as 1994, and has also featured racier imagery of a pierced, tattooed, shirtless man whose genitalia showed prominently through his jeans.

Kory Marchisotto, marketing manager for Jean Paul Gaultier perfumes at Beaute Prestige International USA, New York, says that the gay market is "very important for as a gay man and he supports it. He wants to portray who he is -- he's not afraid of his sexuality and it comes out in all of his work."

In early 2001, sailor-crazy Jean Paul Gaultier offered a rare phenomenon -- a cross-dressing woman – in his first TV advertising in the U.S. since 1997.

Gaultier is one of few openly gay fashion designers. Often closeted, or keeping their sexuality as an open secret, such designers prefer ambiguous sexual ad imagery and rarely dare to have overtly gay advertising.

Previously, a handful of fashion print ads have employed same-sex couples, including those from openly gay Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana, as well as the Diesel and Banana Republic brands.