The Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection transformed Paris into a sultry seascape, blending Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s bold vision with the house’s legacy of provocative elegance. Inspired by shipwrecks and oceanic allure, the show fused sensuality with craftsmanship, demonstrating couture’s power to captivate and challenge.
de Saint Sernin, the youngest designer to helm a guest couture season for Gaultier, reimagined maritime motifs through a lens of raw sophistication. Corsets cinched waists like sailor’s knots, while latex imitating crocodile skin draped models in sleek, reptilian glamour. Sheer fishnet gowns sparkled with crystals to evoke sunlight on waves, and an anchor-shaped bodice balanced cheeky irreverence with meticulous tailoring. The lineup celebrated bodies of all shapes and sizes – slender mermaids, broad-shouldered pirates and ethereal brides adorned with feathers that fluttered like sea foam.
Rick Owens, seated in the front row, praised the collection’s duality: “Sensual but sophisticated, slutty but classy.” That tension defined the show. A Madonna-esque corset featured ship-wheel cups, while a ghostly bridal gown dissolved from tartan beading into glycerine-soaked ostrich feathers. de Saint Sernin credited Gaultier’s atelier for its technical mastery, particularly in creating latex textures and morphing fabrics from structured to fluid.
Though rooted in fantasy, the designs felt wearable for bold personalities. Micro-fishnet dresses and body-skimming latex could easily grace red carpets, appealing to stars like Kylie Jenner or Troye Sivan. The show’s humor – a model dressed only in strategic anchor placements – nodded to Gaultier’s playful legacy without overshadowing his artistry.
Rumor has it that this may be the end of Gaultier’s guest designer series. If so, de Saint Sernin delivered a finale as daring as the house itself: a final look of angular corsetry and breeches that fused his modern edge with Gaultier’s iconic silhouette.
©Photo: Jean Paul Gaultier
