The French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin has joined forces with fashion giant Zara, unveiling a global collaboration that merges the designer’s signature sensuality with the retailer’s reach. The partnership marks one of Zara’s boldest creative moves yet, spotlighting de Saint Sernin’s boundary-pushing vision of gender fluidity and modern luxury.
Once dubbed an “overnight celebrity favourite” by Vogue, de Saint Sernin has quickly evolved from red-carpet darling to cultural tastemaker. His creations, crystalline chainmail gowns, strappy black leather, and sheer lace-up pieces, have been worn by stars such as Anya Taylor-Joy, Mia Goth, Laura Harrier, and Ella Hunt.
The collaboration, over a year in development, debuts this month under the title Ludovic de Saint Sernin x Zara. It features clothing, shoes, and accessories designed with the same bold spirit that defines his label, though reimagined with flat metal studs in place of his signature eyelets. “I wanted to reach a bigger audience,” de Saint-Sernin said. “Designing for Jean Paul Gaultier was for a happy few; Zara lets me share my world on a global scale.”
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Alex Consani Photo: Gordon von Steiner
The offer came as the designer was completing a couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier. For him, the contrast between exclusivity and accessibility is part of the appeal. “It’s incredible to do both,” he said. “On one hand, I get to design for couture clients, and on the other, for people around the world who can now own a piece of my story.”
Zara, known for its collaborations with established and emerging talents, reportedly sought de Saint Sernin for his youthful energy and online influence. At 31, he is among the youngest designers to work with the Spanish retailer on such a scale.
“I think what excites them is my community,” he explained. “As a young queer designer, it’s important to not only create garments but to tell stories, to be visible.”
The campaign, photographed in New York by Gordon von Steiner, stars models Alex Consani and Amelia Grey alongside de Saint Sernin himself. The city holds personal meaning for the designer; it was where his fall 2024 collection, created in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, catapulted him to international fame.
Amelia Gray Photo: Gordon von Steiner
De Saint Sernin also shared that his mother joined him on set during the campaign shoot. “She was trying on the clothes and said, ‘I can finally wear LdSS,’” he recalled. “And I thought, yes, that’s the whole point.”
The Ludovic de Saint Sernin x Zara collection, ranging from $25.90 to $1,399, will launch globally on November 17, 2026, both online and in select stores. It includes pieces that reflect the designer’s hallmark aesthetic, sleek silhouettes, body-conscious tailoring, and metallic detailing, yet it remains accessible to a broader audience.
In bridging the world of high fashion and high street, de Saint Sernin’s collaboration underscores a wider shift in fashion’s landscape: one where visibility, inclusivity, and self-expression matter just as much as luxury.