Womenswear designer Sergio Hudson is a man known for making women feel powerful in his designs. From names like Keke Palmer and others like Fantasia to current presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Hudson knows what it means to dress a woman in elegant garments that make her seem sleek and capable of anything she sets her mind to.
This resort 2025 season, the designer aimed for a new approach and theme to stick to for his latest collection—menswear, specifically the tuxedo. “Usually my inspiration is more straightforward, but around the time I was thinking about doing a resort collection, I had a dream about a dress inspired by a tuxedo. I wanted something that felt sleek and structured and the classic men’s tuxedo was the ideal starting point,” he explained.
The 16-piece collection, an intentional perspective to share with the world, features fabrics like a denim shirt and flared bottoms, gowns with a tuxedo-inspired bodice, a blazer with a cinched waist and rounded lapels, sequined long-sleeve dresses, and a jacket with gold pinstripe detailing.
“The number of pieces mirrors the design of the collection, sleek with no fluff and nothing extra, just what was needed,” he expressed. Other standout looks were a velvet and satin lapel jacket over a waistcoat with a velvet pair of pants, a black jumpsuit with a blazer-inspired top and a single button closure on the side, and a black satin strapless dress with a slight drop waist and a voluminous hemline.
“It is very Vaudeville with a bit of Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, Lola Falana, and Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews,” said Hudson. “I researched a lot of imagery where women and men wear tuxedos in the classic style. References of vintage glamour inspired the way this collection looked,” he noted.
While he’s mainly known for womenswear we did inquire about Hudson possibly dipping his toe into menswear. He shared that is to be determined.