Wreckage and Romance
Get an exclusive look at Jean Paul Gaultier‘s Spring 2025 couture fashion show from the runways of Paris Couture Fashion Week, held in January 2025.
By Mackenzie Richard
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Siren Seduction, Nautical Subversion, & Fluid Architecture
The show began with a scream and thunder—a theatrical opening that set the stage for what was to come.
But if the shipwreck narrative was the premise, Ludovic de Saint Sernin made it clear he wasn’t lost at sea.
The collection sailed through siren-like seduction, sharp tailoring, and gender-fluid subversion, seamlessly intertwining his own aesthetic with the unmistakable legacy of Jean Paul Gaultier. The atmosphere was charged, the models moving with a confidence that mirrored the duality of the ocean itself—both serene and merciless.
Saint Sernin, known for his sensual minimalism and mastery of corsetry, took on the challenge of Gaultier’s bold, theatrical codes and met them with an instinctive understanding of fluidity, sensuality, and rebellion.
In revisiting the house’s iconic sailor imagery, Saint Sernin found common ground with one of Gaultier’s most enduring motifs—one that aligns seamlessly with his own design ethos. Gaultier’s use of the sailor was never just aesthetic; it was a symbol of rebellion, a challenge to traditional masculinity, and a playful exploration of gender fluidity. Through corsetry, sheer fabrics, and bondage elements, he reimagined the hyper-masculine naval uniform as something subversive and sensual, dismantling rigid gender norms in the process. Saint Sernin, whose work has long embraced androgyny, sensual minimalism, and an unfiltered approach to the body, was uniquely positioned to breathe new life into this theme. In his hands, the sailor was neither costume nor caricature, but a vessel for desire—both powerful and undone, at once hardened by the elements and softened by the intimacy of self-expression. This was not just an aesthetic choice; it was a thoughtful continuation of Gaultier’s dialogue on queerness, identity, and the fluidity of fashion itself.
Yet, for all its triumphs, the collection’s breadth of ideas at times risked feeling too expansive. The cast of characters was broad, and the variety of references occasionally threatened to pull the narrative in multiple directions. But then again, would it truly be Gaultier without this eclecticism? The house has always thrived on a sense of bold contradiction, where seemingly disparate elements find a home together.
A highlight of the couture week, Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s vision for Jean Paul Gaultier was as daring as it was poetic. Rising masterfully to the occasion, he channeled the house’s irreverent spirit through a lens of sensuality, drama, and raw elegance.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
For Ludovic de Saint Sernin, stepping into Jean Paul Gaultier’s world meant embracing a legacy built on sex, whimsy, opulence, and the camp of its past lives. This collection became a proud exhibition of craft and one of its greatest virtues—a distilled essence of Gaultier’s signature irreverence, filtered through Saint Sernin’s shamelessly raw yet exquisitely refined perspective.
THE WRAP UP
Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s debut at Jean Paul Gaultier felt like a natural meeting of minds—his affinity for sensuality, sheer fabrics, and sculptural corsetry seamlessly merged with the house’s legacy of provocation and play. At its best, the collection was a hypnotic balance of structure and fluidity, commanding presence while evoking movement, much like the ocean itself. The maritime references felt rich and layered, not only in theme but in execution—the contrast between the rebellious sailor and the siren, the precision of ship-like tailoring, and the undulating buoyancy of fabrics that captured the unpredictability of water. The result was a collection that embraced fantasy and seduction without losing its technical rigor.
If there was one defining success here, it was how Saint Sernin honored Gaultier’s DNA without feeling beholden to it. The collection wasn’t a replication of past Gaultier signatures, but rather an evolution—one that understood the subversive power of the body, the tension between masculinity and femininity, and the ability of couture to tell a story beyond the seams.
It was decadent, daring, and at times chaotic, but in the best possible way. The waves it made will likely continue to ripple, proving that while this was his first couture outing for the house, it was far from his last word.
