Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2025 Couture welcomed a fresh vision under Ludovic de Saint Sernin, whose debut at the house took cues from watery dramas, archival references, and a little star power in the front row. “Le Naufrage,” Ludovic de Saint Sernin titled his take on Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture. Inspired in part by a Mylène Farmer and Seal video set adrift on turbulent waters—and by a boat-shaped headpiece from Gaultier’s 1997 show—this collection was about shipwrecks, sensuality, and a reverence for the brand’s legacy.
“The idea was to create a story that would inspire people and make them dream about couture,” he said in the atelier. “There’s elegance, there’s luxury, there’s lust — all of the emotions that you can think about on a shipwreck.” That dream played out at 325 Rue Saint-Martin, formerly a Proletariat Palace, now home to Gaultier’s runway theatrics. Models walked to the sound of crashing waves, a nod to de Saint Sernin’s narrative of sailors, mermaids, and mysterious cargo lost at sea.
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Corseted pieces, a Gaultier signature, got transformed into otherworldly shapes. Mélusine drifted out first, an off-shoulder bodice in verdigris satin duchesse with painted rusted copper details, trailing into a mermaid skirt embroidered to look like tarnished netting. Then came The Helm, a strapless minidress in macramé that flaunted ship helm details at the bust, while a scrim of silk tulle echoed stormy waters. Each look channeled tension between ruin and rebirth, as though these gowns were salvaged from the depths.
Rope finishes and fishnet textures brought a raw edge, reminiscent of a storm-ravaged vessel. Anchors, steering wheels, and reef-like embroideries hinted at half-buried treasures. De Saint Sernin even reimagined Gaultier’s iconic cone bra shapes as helm motifs, further connecting the show’s maritime storyline with the brand’s playful codes. Ariel wore a rope-bound dress in pleated tulle, as if just untangled from a fisherman’s net, while La Mariée closed the proceedings in a feather-trimmed corset and airy tulle skirt worthy of a mythical siren.
Onlookers included Megan Thee Stallion, Jennie Kim, Rick Owens, Michèle Lamy, Hunter Schafer, and Rachel Sennott—an eclectic mix emblematic of Gaultier’s impact across pop culture and fashion. Paloma Elsesser, Alex Consani, Candice Swanepoel, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley were among those gliding down the runway, reinforcing how this house continues to draw in top talent while staying open to imaginative interpretations from guest designers.
Such guest spots have been a part of Gaultier’s new era since the founder stepped away from the runway, with a rotating cast of creatives putting a twist on the French maison’s signature shapes. After Haider Ackermann’s refined version of couture last season, de Saint Sernin’s “shipwreck” theme took the house in a more mythical direction. Still, the balance of structure and narrative felt in sync with Gaultier’s longtime embrace of theatrical flair.
Anne Bonny featured a swirling opera cape in double-faced cashmere over a pearl corset, referencing high-seas adventurers. The Scorpio delivered a dramatic black tulle gown beneath a corset cage embroidered with ostrich feathers. Le Marié and La Mariée gave a grand finale of light, texture, and movement—reminders that even amid disaster, glamour can surface.
From briny illusions to sculptural tailoring, de Saint Sernin’s first foray into haute couture seemed a testament to Gaultier’s spirit of risk and reinvention. Though storms raged in this collection’s backdrop, it was ultimately a celebration of tradition, fantasy, and the promise that, for all its edge, couture still has the power to make us daydream.
