To close the fourth day of Haute Couture Fashion Week, we witnessed the internship of Jean Paul Gaultier's eighth guest director, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, known for his daring approach to clothing. In his Haute Couture directorial debut, he demonstrated a perfect balance between the characteristic je ne sais quoi of Jean Paul Gaultier and a mischievousness rarely seen in the brand, injecting it with freshness and fun.

"Le Naufrage" (The Shipwreck) floats from the depths of the ocean, beginning with a siren that perfectly represents the fusion of the two designers: a French-fitted corset and a lace skirt. The nautical styling is drowned in nude illusions of wet skin and a play of asymmetries and draping that simulate the violent waves of the sea, as well as cuts on the edges of jackets and dresses, whose movement oscillates with the wind, as if they came out of a Jules Verne story.

"Sensual, yet sophisticated" is the phrase Saint Sernin used to describe this collaboration. One way to inject Gaultier's joy into his collection was to respect the tailoring work and, at the same time, use unconventional materials, such as latex with crocodile skin simulation, and combine them with silk, feathers, and crystal appliqués.

The collection feels like a hold in the sea waves, as if Ludovic had control of the Moon and its influence on the sea currents to shape the dresses to his liking. It is a mischievous and perfect game where a ship is destroyed so that the characters come to life with its remains and, thus, can dress with the ropes of the sail and the anchors.

It seems that Saint Sernin has found his place, so only time will tell if Jean Paul Gaultier decides to add him to his crew.