“There’s a freedom and liberty when you’re an independent designer to show when you’re ready, and this should be taken advantage of more often,” said Ludovic de Saint Sernin, patching in by video call from the Berlin airport en route back to Paris. Roughly a month after Paris Fashion Week, the designer has released a pared-back lookbook for his fall collection, which he described as more “severe,” even as it meaningfully echoed back to some of his earliest designs. To arrive at some of the sharp coats and sultry dresses seen here, he noted he returned to sketching full throttle. “I kind of cosplayed designing my first collection by focusing on what designs I love and that represent me,” he said. “I really stripped things back and wanted to be more radical in the proposition.”
De Saint Sernin advanced on material ideas such as metal mesh—intricately assembled in lashings of fringe that coyly reveal the body—and interesting leather workmanship that appeared alternately raw-edged and finely encrusted into pieces that suggest lingerie, or else as sharply constructed coats and trousers. There’s a lot of pony and a lot of lace—the tiers of ruffles betraying a femme fatale vibe. He noted how the striped knits—for both guys and gals—emerged from the graphic pattern of a vase in a photo by his ongoing inspiration, Robert Mapplethorpe. All in all, a tight edit of looks that reflect the workmanship of his Paris-based atelier. “I liked full control, which is why it looks so exact,” he said, noting that there is still a larger commercial offering he’s selling alongside these looks.
Perhaps the most notable takeaway from the season is that de Saint Sernin is doubling down on bags and has introduced two fresh styles, made in Italy: the “Harness” bag (equestrian with a hint of kink), and a new bucket version of the cheeky “Cleavage” bag (picture a cinched bag set within an unlaced outer base). He is aiming to release both ahead of summer.
De Saint Sernin says that the Zara lock-up also meant that he has broadened his reach. Having now checked off haute couture (his guest design stint at Jean-Paul Gaultier) and mainstream fashion, he seems most content mining his own codes and reconnecting with his love of men’s wear. He pointed to a metal mesh piece projecting a heart shape that replicates a top in pony leather and chiffon he made while at fashion school. “It still feels so relevant and holds the essence of me as a designer.” Less constrained by the main fashion calendar, he can work on his special orders and collaborations, while still delivering looks meant to seduce—although not as overtly, he insists. “Maybe less flirtatious; more, ‘You’ll come to me if you dare.’”
