PARIS — At Paris Couture Week, fashion designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin took the reigns to reimagine the haute couture creations of Jean Paul Gaultier, infusing the collection with his unique vision characterized by eroticism, queer influences, and fetish-inspired details.
The evening’s presentation paid tribute to Gaultier’s timeless themes, including gender fluidity, form-fitting silhouettes, and audaciousness, while simultaneously integrating Saint Sernin’s own minimalist aesthetic.
The debut look established the mood for the evening, showcasing a reinvented version of Gaultier’s famed corseted bustier, now featuring sharper, more aggressive lines. The corset’s ties and metallic eyelets sparkled under the lights, introducing a distinct element of kink to the brand’s established language. A model with edgy, disheveled hair further emphasized the collection’s subversive undertones.
Saint Sernin, whose designs focus on queer themes and the sensuality of nightlife, expanded on these concepts with expertly crafted garments that seamlessly merged allure and restraint.
Since 2020, when he retired from the catwalk, Jean Paul Gaultier has welcomed various guest designers to reinterpret his couture line with each new season. Saint Sernin stands alongside talents like Chitose Abe, Glenn Martens, Olivier Rousteing, Haider Ackermann, and Simone Rocha, all of whom have contributed their unique styles while adhering to Gaultier’s established codes. For this season, de Saint Sernin delved deeply into Gaultier’s archives housed at the historic Rue Saint-Martin atelier.
One standout piece was a fluid silk gown in a warm caramel shade, intricately detailed with rope that wrapped around the bust, creating an impression of gentle bondage. Another model sported a similar rope twist around her arms, evoking imagery that balanced elegance with a sense of confinement. These motifs, integral to Saint Sernin’s design language, fit seamlessly within Gaultier’s realm, a maestro who has long challenged societal norms surrounding masculinity and femininity, well before the trend of gender fluidity took hold in the fashion sector.
