The Designer Is the Eight Collaborator to Put Their Mark on Gaultier’s Guest Couture Designer Series
Jean Paul Gaultier has officially announced that Ludovic de Saint Sernin will be creating a one-off couture collection for the iconic fashion house next January.
This partnership marks the eighth collaboration in Gaultier’s unique guest designer series, which has previously featured talents like Glenn Martens, Chitose Abe, Nicolas Di Felice, Simone Rocha, Haider Ackermann, Olivier Rousteing, and more. The initiative, launched after Gaultier’s retirement from runway design in 2020, invites designers to reinterpret his extensive and eclectic body of work, a career that spans over 50 years.
De Saint Sernin, known for his body-skimming designs and exploration of queer culture, joins this prestigious lineup. The Brussels-born, Paris-raised designer made his mark with pieces like low-slung pants featuring corset lacing and his signature eyelet-studded, laced-crotch briefs, which redefined luxury men’s underwear. After gaining experience at Dior and Balmain, he launched his own label in 2017, which has since expanded to include both menswear and womenswear, often modeled on individuals of varying genders. Reflecting on his brand’s beginnings, de Saint Sernin once said, “initially quite queer, gay, sex positive, and that’s amazing, it’s my core fan base.”
His inclusion in the Gaultier project aligns perfectly with the house’s legacy of embracing free expression of sexuality, body positivity, and inclusivity. Gaultier, who famously put men in skirts as early as 1984, has long championed these themes. The one-off couture collection by de Saint Sernin is set to be revealed during Paris Couture Week, from January 27 to 30, 2024.
This high-profile project follows de Saint Sernin’s recent efforts to refocus attention on his eponymous brand after a short-lived collaboration with Ann Demeulemeester in 2022. His last showcase was during New York Fashion Week, where he highlighted his distinctive blend of social-media-friendly styling, favored by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. As anticipation builds for his Gaultier debut, the collection promises to be another exciting chapter in both de Saint Sernin’s career and the evolving narrative of Gaultier’s guest designer program, which has quickly become a highlight of couture week.