Breaking into the world of fashion heavyweights might seem an impossible task, but not when Ludovic de Saint Sernin is concerned. The French designer has quietly achieved cult status in recent years, from the launch of his namesake label back in 2017 to, most recently, taking the helm as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2025 Haute Couture collection, 'Le Naufrage'. In between it all, he's become the go-to for head-turning looks for the likes of Charli XCX and Olivia Rodrigo, and is planted firmly on our radar as a result. So who is the designer of the moment? Get acquainted with Ludovic de Saint Sernin, below.

Born and raised in Brussells, de Saint Sernin’s exposure to the fashion world began when he moved to Paris to study at the prestigious l'ESAA Duperré. His education here laid the foundation for what would become one of the most unique and sought-after aesthetics of the current moment.

Post-graduation, the designer honed his skills at Balmain as an embellishment expert and then, two years later, established his namesake label. It only took two seasons for the menswear brand to make an impact, with de Saint Sernin nominated for the prestigious LVMH prize in 2018. The brand — and de Saint Sernin — quickly caught the fashion world's attention, thanks to the designer's keen eye for understated elegance and sensuality, applying principles typically thought to be reserved for women's clothing to the realm of menswear. One such element is the eyelet brief: a now-signature of de Saint Sernin, which reportedly represents 40 percent of the brand's sales. It's just one of many ways de Saint Sernin is challenging the boundaries of male dressing in the 21st century, along with plenty of sheer fabrications, and form-fitting silhouettes.

While he might have cut his teeth as a menswear specialist, de Saint Sernin has quickly won the adoration of some of this generation's biggest It girls. At the recent Vanity Fair Oscar's After Party, for example, he was behind not one but four of the looks to grace the red carpet, dressing Emma Chamberlain, Emily Ratajkowski, Tate McRae, and Louisa Jacobson is a series of effortlessly edgy gowns.

Cast your mind back just a little further, and you'll likely remember that the designer was responsible for Charli XCX's now-iconic look at the 2025 Grammys. If you ask us, the custom Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture by Ludovic de Saint Sernin look worn by the singer is just as memorable as the three Grammy awards she walked away with.

And most recently, Saint Sernin put Olivia Rodrigo in one of her raciest looks to date: a fiery red custom body suit — inspired by Look 25 from "BDSM BALLET" SS25 — worn by the singer as she made her headlining debut at Lollapalooza Chile.

"It was on a plane back from Berlin, I had this vision I wanted to sketch a bodysuit that would be the perfect look for an iconic stage performance," he wrote on Instagram. "We made the original bodysuit in Black Leather and shot it for our Spring Lookbook. When Chloe & Chenelle reached out about Olivia wearing a red version of it for her summer tour, I immediately jumped and said yes! I am so grateful to see it come to life the way I originally envisioned it!"

As his brand continues to grow, there's now doubt de Saint Sernin is leading the charge for the next generation of legendary designers.

In 2022, he was named creative director of Ann Demeulemeester, though he stepped down from the posting after just six months. With fashion's ever-increasing game of musical chairs increasing, could de Saint Sernin be in line for a spot at a major Fashion house? While nothing's set in stone, one thing is for sure: the future looks incredible bright for the designer.

Feature image: one, two.