Ludovic de Saint Sernin Reflects on the Giddy Joy of Gender Apathy

All Clothing by Ludovic de Saint Sernin.

The French fashion designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin, who cut his teeth at Balmain before founding his namesake label, reflects on youth and the giddy joy of gender apathy. 

“My favorite age was 17, when the world was for me and I could accomplish anything. At the same time, though, you’re still too young to even notice it. When I look at today’s 17-year-old kids, they don’t really think about whether they are gay or straight or whatever. They’re not really labeling anything. People always describe my clothes as ‘gender-fluid,’ or ‘unisex,’ but I never really think about what I’m wearing as being men’s or women’s and I want my brand to represent that easiness about gender, where you don’t care too much. When I was 17, I grew up in a posh neighborhood with a posh family and I was straight and I was a boy, and I didn’t have any options. It feels amazing to see how much has changed in ten years.”

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Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s Coming-of-Age Reading List:

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman: “I read it before the movie was out.”

Just Kids by Patti Smith: “They’re just so talented and raw, and it’s all about discovering yourself.”

L’Âge d’Or by Pierre Herbart: “Really quite beautiful.”

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Models: D’Angelo Rodriguez at Next Models New York, Ricardo Rodriguez at Next Models New York
Hair: Shingo Shibata at The Wall Group
Makeup: Seong Hee Park at Julian Watson Agency
Casting: Rémi Lamandé
Photography Assistant: Amelia Hammond