The 2010s: The Tale of Jacquemus

December 15, 2019June 17, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Believe it or not – I can’t! – but we’re heading towards a new millenium. So, how do you choose the most important collections, designers and labels of the decade? The ones that made an actual impact in the 2010s? Well, it’s not an easy task. It all began in September 2009 with New York’s spring-summer 2010 shows and ended when the autumn-winter 2019 haute couture shows wrapped in Paris. Few thousands of shows, by the way. There will be 19 posts (that’s really the only possible minimum!) reminding about the best – and if not the best, then strongly influencing – moments in fashion.

France, sun, love. Jacquemus.

The tale of Jacquemus is one of the most inspiring and joyful stories of 2010’s fashion. A boy from the South of France made the entire industry lose its mind for XXL straw hats, hilariously small bags, cheerful polka-dots and dresses that mentally transport you to the beach in any season. Simon Porte Jacquemus started from scratch, staging his first fashion show in a public swimming pool in Paris. With every season, his style got refined and the collections expanded at an organic pace. From the spectacular La Santons de Provence show, which was all about the designer’s love for his sun-drenched home, to the spring-summer 2020 line-up staged in the middle of a Provençal field, every collection Jacquemus delivers keeps on getting better. From all the emerging labels that took off in the 2010s, Jacquemus is the biggest star!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Dream. Jacquemus SS20

June 30, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although I’ve been sick for a couple of days, and a collection that happened a week ago in today’s fashion industry’s pace seems like a year ago (especially during the endless fashion week of menswear, resort, ready-to-wear and couture), I’m still sure of one thing: Jacquemus spring-summer 2020 collection was a DREAM. By now you surely have seen hundreds of images of a vibrant pink runway going through field of purple lavender, under the gorgeously bright blue Provençal sky. Simon Porte Jacquemus took the fashion crowd to his hometown region and celebrated his brand’s 10th anniversary. The brand is completely independent, super desirable and Jacquemus, the person himself, is the same French guy with a joyful spirit. While anniversary collections tend to be a remix of a brand’s biggest hits, Jacquemus presented lots of hot newness that keeps on developing the brand’s language. “I wanted something sophisticated but at the same time as light as a cocktail in summer,” he said backstage. The moment when Mica Arganaraz opened the show in a white, over-sized blazer, it was clear that tailoring is on the designer’s mind. He nailed it for both, women and men. Parachute dresses in olive-green and bold fuchsia were my personal highlights, just like the shirts with Cezanne-esque landscapes and culottes in utilitarian styles. Jacquemus is a major accessories business, and this season he didn’t dissapoint. From XXL bazaar bags and signature art-heel shoes to old-school net grocery bags and basket handbags (they seem to stay with us), you want it all. Happy Birthday to Jacquemus, the brand. Big, big congrats to Jacquemus, the person!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Deauville

May 6, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

The town where Coco Chanel opened her first boutique in 1913. The chic resort destination of France that’s filled with the most gorgeous, old villas. The wide beach, which is the centre of life for the locals. Deauville, although slightly romanced by the French, has the charm of Normandy.

There are also two very special addresses…

Paul Pierre‘s flowershop is a dream place. It’s visible that flowers are the owner’s truest passion. The store is located in a magnificent, brick villa, surrounded with a garden. Anemones, hydrangea, most delightful shades of roses… ahh. Goals!

93 rue du Général Leclerc

La Maison is another place you won’t want to leave. Home decorations, kitchenware, pajamas, ceramics, chairs, linens – basically everything needed for a villa as gorgeous as the one the store is located in. While being there, I noted everything has a ‘Made in France‘ tag.

11 rue Edmond Blanc

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Les Jardins d’Étretat

May 3, 2019April 30, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Les Jardins d’Étretat is a magic place which, as if by the wave of the hand, has appeared at Falaise d’Amont cliffe, at Seine Maritine. These gardens enjoy spectacular views over the ancient town and one of the world’s most beautiful cliffs, Falaise d’Aval, with its famous L’Aiguille gushing from the ocean. The gardens and the villa were founded more than a hundred years ago by Madame Thébault, a famous actress at the beginning of the 20th century. Inspired by the ideas of Claude Monet, who lived in Étretat for some time and was a keen gardener, she decided to create her own, gorgeous garden. Today, The Gardens are a venue for permanent and transitory exhibtions by international artists. Works of Samuel Salcedo (the brilliant faces placed in Le Jardin Émotions), Wiktor Szostało and Sergey Catran are here, among many others. If you’re in Normandy by car, you can’t miss this charming place.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Trouville’s Addresses

April 29, 2019May 27, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Wherever you go in Trouville-Sur-Mer, there’s a view on the ocean (or you at least feel this fresh, iodine-filled breeze). So no there’s no wonder that the locals are truly connected to their surroundings. That’s reflected in the town’s boutiques, which mix this kind of surfer girl allure with the eternally timeless, quintessentially French style (when you come to Normandy, you will discover that in fact, all that Frenchness in fashion isn’t entirely a cliché – those women are born with this gorgeous style). Here are my favourite addresses in Trouville:

When you enter Chez Stef, you feel like in a wardrobe of a very chic party-goer, who lives near the beach. Stef, the owner of the boutique, sells well-curated, beautiful, artinasal goods from Ibiza (think Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza style), as well as her owns designs. I witnessed how Trouville women adore her kaftans and parachute dresses: they all got sold out within an hour. When in town, you’ve got to visit Stef!

11 rue de Paris 35

Boheme is where you get the French classics, which seem to be fantastically sun-drenched already there, in-store (loved all the mustard and rust colour palette). The store sells small,affordable Made-in-France-tag labels, as well as blankets, pillow, cotton bags and artisanal baskets. Love.

93 rue des Bains

La Quincaillerie d’Albertine feels like a cabinet des curiosités, where you can buy everything you see. From hand-made stationery (notebooks, postcards) to socks (got a crab-printed pair by Royalties), you won’t leave this place with empty hands.

78 rue des Bains

If you’re a fan of vintage, you can’t miss Violette Vintage. While vintage luxury fashion tends to get overpriced, here you will be surprised to find Louis Vuitton kints, Hermès silks and Yves Saint Laurent coats in very appealing prices. The store’s funky (yes, I used this word!) interior takes you to another decade.

12 rue Victor-Hugo