The guest designer navigates nautical elements, corseted silhouettes, and wet-look textures that sail through a provocative take of Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs
Hold on to your tricorn hats—this season, Jean Paul Gaultier’s haute couture takes a dive into the depths of “Le Naufrage” or the shipwreck. And who better to steer this nautical escapade than Ludovic de Saint Sernin, the Parisian designer known for turning up the heat with his signature sultry goth glam. If Gaultier’s retirement in 2020 had you worried that the haute couture house would sink into dullness, fear not. de Saint Sernin sails in with a collection full of wild, wet chaos—like the misfit pirates of haute couture—mermaids, sirens, and wrecked sailors all vying for attention on this runaway ship.
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de Saint Sernin, a designer whose branding lies with sensuality and body positivity, is the eighth designer to continue Gaultier’s legacy of audacious sensuality, following recent guests Olivier Rousteing, Julien Dossena, and Simone Roch. Known for his body-hugging silhouettes, sharp tailoring, and an unapologetic approach to gender fluidity, de Saint Sernin is no stranger to sculpting the human form in ways that enthrall and provoke. And here, he does so with Gaultier’s DNA tightly laced into the fold—because only the sexy survive, and Gaultier’s had that trademark down to a science. Corsets that cinch in, crisscross laces, and a provocative swagger—all wrapped up in a sea-soaked aesthetic that’s wild yet refined.


The collection, drenched in wet-look hair and skin-tight designs, was a flirtation with the shipwreck concept, but there was no sinking involved. de Saint Sernin’s creations weren’t about drowning in the theme; rather, they floated above it with daring grace. Billowing gowns unfurled like sails caught in a tempest, ropes winding around them like the tender grip of the ocean’s embrace, their fabrics lingering like forgotten remnants of a submerged wreck.
The pièce de résistance is a headpiece that, quite literally, resembled a ship. You’d expect nothing less from a designer who knows how to elevate the campy with the chic.


de Saint Sernin’s approach was reverent, drawing from Gaultier’s love of nautical themes. The designer riffed on Gaultier’s famous boat hat from ‘97, took it to the high seas, and gave it a fresh, sexy update. Those corsets? They were straight out of Gaultier’s playbook, but with a little something extra—hips thrust out like an invitation to board. In fact, the whole collection felt like one big, erotic siren song: full of darkly seductive, body-hugging tailoring that evoked chaos and control.




de Saint Sernin has always leaned into sensuality with an unashamed nod to goth-lite vibes. His version of sexy doesn’t skimp on glamour but also refuses to conform. The look was refreshingly modern, and his use of materials was nothing short of inventive. Feathers glistened as though kissed by sea foam, their edges heavy with the salt of the storm, while tartan wool shimmered under the light, its crystals catching the glint of a dark, wet horizon. Mermaids emerged in white voluminous gowns, while the captain figures sported eyelets and sharp designs that could have cut through the stormy seas themselves. Just call it wet-and-wild couture.



At the end of it all, de Saint Sernin’s “Le Naufrage” wasn’t about the shipwreck, but about who survives it. In this collection, survival meant sex, confidence, and a totally liberated approach to femininity and masculinity. No, no one went overboard here—but Ludovic de Saint Sernin certainly made us want to dive in.
Photos: JEAN PAUL GAULTIER