February 12, 2024 |
Whenever a Parisian designer decamps to New York for a season, it’s a guarantee they’ll be the most talked about show of the season. For Ludovic de Saint Sernin that proved true given the crowd that turned out at 8pm on Super Bowl Sunday evening. Full of the designer’s fans, in their body baring best, they settled in for a collection that saw de Saint Sernin’s interpretation of NYC, namely the work of Robert Mapplethorpe. Dark, sexy, with a dash of BDSM influences, it represented the best of both worlds.
Working with the blessing of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, de Saint Sernin cited the late photographer’s imagery as a jumping point for the collection. “I imagined he was still alive today, and that we were creating silhouettes that he would want to photograph; clothes that he would love, and that feel as much him as they do me,” he said via the show notes. The looks clearly reflected the influence, as it opened with a series of sheer floral tops, referencing both Mapplethorpe’s iconic flower photographs as well as de Saint Sernin’s signature love of transparent fabrics.
’80s power dressing also made an appearance, nodding to the decade when the photographer was at his peak with cinched trench coats, including one worn by Alex Consani, who sold it convincingly with her signature strut. To drive home that reference there were also strong shouldered jackets and pinstripe embroidered leather shifts coupled with 18k gold-plated jewellery that brought to mind Wall Street-era, greed is good ritzy excess. Speaking of jewellery, there was also a sprinkling of fine jewelry pieces as well, made in collaboration with Tous.
Of course, given the Mapplethorpe theme as well as de Saint Sernin’s Instagram teaser image, bondage-inspired leather also made a prominent appearance. There were bralettes, riffs on the bumster trouser which revealed plenty of cheek, as well as aviator jackets on the less risqué side. But for those seeking more, leather daddies and darkroom cruisers were referenced courtesy of eyelet-trimmed harnesses and pants with removed rear panels as well as gimp-inspired masks made in collaboration with Ukrainian milliner Ruslan Baginskiy. To cap it off, why not add brass horns? These were made with Vagujhelyi, a brand founded by New York-based artist Diego Villarreal Vagujhelyi and meant to evoke the satyric charge of Frank Diaz. Devilishly delightful.
Photography by Bella Macgregor.
