January 25, 2023 |
Ludovic de Saint Sernin is part of a legion of designers who fell in love with fashion through their television screens. Reality TV competitions like Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model fed his fascination for scantily clad models, barely-there silhouettes, and drama by the bulk load – all integral components to the success of his sexed-up, Y2K-inspired eponymous label. The high-pressure scenarios Tyra and Heidi put their contestants through also served as psychological training for the designer, who has been up against the clock creating two collections at once, between Paris and Antwerp – in December, the designer was named creative director of Ann Demeulemeester, he will present his debut collection for the brand in February.
Bringing his namesake collection forward a month to show during the men’s show, he put his studio through what could be described as his own pastiche of the fan-favourite design challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. De Saint Sernin selected 10 fabrics, in which his team would create a series of mini-capsule collections featuring a trio of looks. An opening procession of silk, black taffeta tailoring made way for the designer’s signature eyelet briefs and jeans, here in both leather and denim. More denim cropped up later, both frosted in the brand’s sparkly LdSS monogram and teased out to mimic the look of fur, seen on low-slung Yeti pants. Distressed ribbed knits and Swarovski crystal mini-skirts with handkerchief hemlines completed the look – underlining de Saint Sernin’s immense understanding of cut and proportion, and his fixation on all things skimpy. They do say all good things come in threes – this season de Saint Sernin had a winning formula.
Photography courtesy of Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
