Thanks for the memories: French wunderkind Ludovic De Saint Sernin and internationally lauded Belgium avant-garde label Ann Demeulemeester have broken up after a single season together.
The 27-year-old took to the helm of the beautiful dark twisted fantastical luxuriate a mere six months ago, promising to forge a new vision for the label in a world ruled by “cores,” “sleazes” and suffixes.
“Sensuality, tension, silhouette, fluidity, wildness and a graphic feel are defining pillars of the language Ludovic de Saint Sernin is about to build as he traces the new course of Ann Demeulemeester,” wrote the brand at the time of announcing de Saint Sernin as its new creative director.
However, just like the coveted designs de Saint Sernin created for the label, his tenure at the brand was as barely there as the looks he displayed for his “one and done” collection. He’s a one-hit-wonder.
His departure is especially surprising considering how revered his first collection was in contemporizing Demeulemeester’s gothic romance codes. Referencing Demeulemeester’s Spring/Summer 1995 by sending models down the runway with their hands crossed over their chest, he soon became a go-to for the internet’s It girls in the collection’s wake.
Let’s not forget that within de Saint Sernin’s short tenure, we received a raft of memorable fashion moments that cemented the de Saint Sernin for Demeulemeester’s creative partnership as one with reverent synergy.
We may not have the dream duo we imagined, but we’ll always have Hunter Schafer and her scant feather bandeau from the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar’s afterparty.
So far, neither de Saint Sernin nor representatives of Demeulemeester have addressed his departure, however, one publication reports the separation as a result of “managerial differences.”
Nevertheless, this news has sent shockwaves through the fashion set, especially those still reeling from Rhuigi Villasenor and Charles de Vilmorin’s absence at Bally and Rochas respectively.
If those at the top are challenging these up-and-coming designers with steering these revered brands into the next generation, what are the metrics they are measuring success? Because from the looks of things, one season does not merit an eminent reception.
As a prominent fashion writer, commentator, collector and unofficial poster girl for Margiela Tabis, Brenda Weischer, remarked on the Throwing Fits podcast, “It’s not the reality of how these brands work anymore.”
“You need someone with a platform nowadays to sell,” she added in reference to the recent appointment of Pharrell at Louis Vuitton.
From a business perspective, we’re keeping our eyes on the likes of Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo and Peter Do for Helmut Lang to see if their fashion stories receive the same fabled ending as de Saint Sernin’s.
