Ludovic de Saint Sernin redefines workwear with a collection that thrives on contrast. For Fall Winter 2025, the designer crafts a wardrobe that moves from the boardroom to the dancefloor and back again. Presented in Paris on March 8th, the show unfolds like a scene from a late-night fever dream, partygoers, still marked by last night’s chaos, rush into early-morning interviews, their suits sharp but their secrets barely hidden.
Beneath tailored cashmere overcoats and structured suiting, remnants of the night before remain, micro-dresses pieced together with interlaced leather glint under artificial light, rubber-clad calves peek from beneath trench coat hems. The collection challenges the idea that professionalism requires restraint, proving that sensuality and ambition can share the same space.
Looks shift between corporate precision and after-dark indulgence. Pencil skirts and body-hugging dresses, cut from pinstripe wool, Glen plaid, and polished latex, feature front-laced closures, a nod to Helmut Newton’s provocative photography. Modest collared wool shirts transform into halter tops once outer layers come off, revealing a balance between discipline and defiance.
A carnal energy pulses through the collection, amplified by hulking shearling coats lined in soft nappa leather. Leather plays a central role, its presence elevated by support from LVMH Métiers d’Art. Signature silhouettes such as the Cleavage bralette and a spaghetti-strap dress reappear in supple python skin, bringing a tactile richness to familiar forms.
Attention to detail pushes the collection into new territory. The designer’s precise approach, seen recently in his haute couture work for Jean Paul Gaultier, emerges in lace evening dresses reinforced with metal mesh bust constructions. Emily Ratajkowski debuted one such piece at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, showcasing the meticulous craftsmanship behind each hand-assembled guipure motif.
Suits cut with sharp, perpendicular shoulders add a commanding presence, while princess seams refine the silhouette. Point-toed mules and boots, created in collaboration with ZARA, ground the collection with a sleek yet subversive edge. These tailored looks suggest executive control, but the layers beneath tell a different story.
