Between naughty corsets and playful lacing, Ludovic de Saint Sernin imposes his sensuality at Jean Paul Gaultier

On Wednesday, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, a young talent among the French fashion scene, unveiled his haute couture collection for the house of Jean Paul Gaultier. His contribution as a guest designer follows that of numerous other creators (Chitose Abe, Olivier Rousteing, Julien Dossena, Simone Rocha, Glenn Martens, etc.) who, since 2020, have lent themselves to the game of merging their universes with that of the French fashion house.

Titled “Le Naufrage” (The Shipwreck), the collection references voyagers “lost in a bloody passion on a turbulent sea.” The collection is, according to the press release, a testament “to the unparalleled savoir-faire for which 325 Rue Saint Martin [where the brand’s headquarters is housed, ed.] has long been the cradle, and is also a toast to the countless worlds and characters that have come to life here – to the frenzy of playfulness, fantasy, opulence, sex, chaos, and camp that fills these halls.”

The show opened with a look called Mélusine, featuring a verdigris bodice laced with an angular hip construction, hand-painted rusty copper eyelets, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s signature silver nappa leather lacing. Below: a mermaid skirt in silk organza embroidered with a net of metallic beads.

Several menswear looks punctuated the runway show, reinforcing the gender-fluid sensuality of the collection. One featured a deeply plunging corseted jacket, another sported pheasant feather wings mounted on a harness and worn with eyelet briefs over a sky-blue muslin drape, while a third showcased a corseted tailcoat.