Ludovic De Saint Sernin‘s spring-summer 2023 fashion show was a usual affair of hyper-sensuality and hyper-body-revealing, with references ranging from Robert Mapplethorpe (the late photographer’s signature look and red anthuriums, which were his favourite, phallocentric objects to capture) to the Y2k style. De Saint Sernin’s work erases binaries and treats one and all to the same eroticizing gaze. Anok Yai wore a halter top split down the middle that exposed her midriff and a lace skirt knotted over cigarette pants. It was one of the collection’s more conservative looks. There were baby-doll dresses for all genders, yoga clothes in the form of stretch leather tanks and shorts that can also be worn to the club, and barely hanging-on crystal mesh bikinis and micro skirts. Picking up from last season, De Saint Sernin continued his push beyond partywear. Tunics and pants with a loungey feel were made from a plissé material he likened to the late Issey Miyake’s famous pleats. The stripes on a pair of low-slung jeans were achieved by pulling the denim’s threads and then patching different pieces together. The reference for the denim, he said, was Britney Spears. “When you look at my work, it’s actually very TBT; it’s very throwback to my youth where I used to admire Britney, Lindsay, and all these girls, but I couldn’t dress like that.” Going on, he said, “If I can inspire the current generation, or older or younger generations, to just listen to their hearts and be trusting that they can be unique – this is literally my mission.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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