With the fashion industry starving for inclusivity and male pop stars like Harry Styles and Lil Nas pushing gender boundaries, de Saint Sernin’s queer sex-positive vision - of a kind perhaps not seen since Jean Paul Gaultier in the 1990s - has been gaining traction with its range of hard and soft pieces, from S&M-inspired, metal-adorned leather pants to sheer organza jackets, cut-out knitwear and body-con halter tops. The same way a singer can express their feelings in a song or album, I was expressing that in my collections and I thought that was something the public could relate to.” “I have always approached my collection as a diary.
“I think from the first collection, it was very much like a coming out, because at the same time I was coming out in real life,” said de Saint Sernin. But a sex-positive Instagram community built on queer imagery and a series of popular challenges that de Saint Sernin cultivated after his own sexual awakening helped keep the label on track.įrom the beginning, de Saint Sernin’s work was closely shaped by his personal life. The pandemic posed a serious threat to his business. For Paris-based designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin, known for his racy, gender-fluid looks, the last year has been a rollercoaster.
