Le Souk. Jacquemus AW18

February 27, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

While ooking at the latest Jacquemus collection, I want summer to be back so, so badly (even though it’s an autumn-winter collection). Also, I’ve got to visit Morocco, like right now. That’s the effect of Le Souk, Simon Porte‘s newest story. “I got lost in the souks with just one thing on my mind: I want to make it my next summer collection. I came back to Paris and made my winter of it; my winter collection. Not wasting any more time, my warm winter.” The result? Well, doubtfully you will find any winter help in these clothes, that’s certain. But these caftan-dresses, clingy knits, hats (a Jacquemus best-selling signature) and cute skirts make you daydream. Jacquemus is one of Paris fashion week’s biggest excitements, and the designer brought us another reason to love him: he launches menswear. I can’t wait to see how he injects his joyful Frenchness into men’s clothes. See you in June.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

La Bombe. Jacquemus SS18

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

‘La bombe’ is the way Simon Porte Jacquemus thinks of his late mother, Valérie, who is the designer’s lifetime inspiration and muse. It’s a popular saying for beautiful, confident women in the Soe uth of France – the region, where the designer was born and which he continues to celebrate in his collections. The spring-summer 2018 show was like a sun-drenched fashion poetry, that took place in an extraordinary location – at Musee Picasso in Paris (no other fashion show took place here before). A special place requires special clothes, and Jacquemus’ pieces will be exactly what you’re going to demand when the summer comes – mini-dresses kept in sultry lengths, curved straw hats (slightly different from the ones from the memorable spring-summer 2017 La Santons de Provence collection), polka dots and lots of eclectic, Lacroix-like jewellery, but kept in a more minimal, sweet-candy style. This season, the textures feel softer than usual at Jacquemus. The young designer is keen on experimenting and he felt like draping and shaping the silhouette with the textiles, rather than keeping it stiff and statuesque. Simon had also been thinking about “French Island girls—they could be in Corsica, or Martinique in the Caribbean, too.” Henri Matisse’s paintings appear in my mind right away…

The overall effect? Blushing girls with their unfinished make-ups, in care-free dresses that they really ENJOY wearing – that’s the most frivolous and heart-warming start of Paris fashion week you could imagine. The Jacquemus femme is a bomb in every meaning of this word this (and every) season, that’s for sure.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

French Love. Jacquemus AW17

March 1, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

The anticipation before Simon Porte Jacquemus‘ autumn-winter 2017 was growing, as the designer posted three, very special photos on his Instagram account. On each, the show invitation was pictured. And they were signed for Pablo Picasso, Manitas de Plata and Francois Gilot – a pack of cult personalities, who shaped the cultural world of Spain and France in the 20th century. One thing was sure – Jacquemus won’t disappoint this season, “inviting” those three personalities to the show.

And he didn’t. That was ‘chic’. The pure quintessence of this word. From the miniature bags and over-sized to geometrical jackets and flirty dresses. Surprisingly, black was the collection’s main colour, while the designer is rather known for bold shades or simple white. But the collection was far from dull. This sense of darkness made the statuesque coats look refined, mature. You could really notice the hidden beauty of this collection, which keeps so much of the designer’s intimacy. His uncle was a bull-fighter: that’s from where you’ve got the sculpted, matador hats. Little, bejewelled buttons and buckles were a nod to Christian Lacroix, one of Simon’s biggest fashion idols. “When I was a child, I grew up dreaming of Christian Lacroix, who I saw in my mother’s magazines, and meant fashion to me” is how he explains his life-time obsession with the legendary designer, who never said a ‘no’ to signature, over-the-top splendour.

Although this collection would have stolen more than one heart of old Parisian boheme, Jacquemus focuses on his contemporary girl from the real world. Giving her a dream, a story. “It was about this Parisian girl who wears couture who falls in love with a gypsy in the south of France. She tries to be like a gypsy, but she cannot—she is too couture!” There’s this current mania for French chic, which usually ends on ripped denim and not washed hair (according to best-selling books with style tips). But Jacquemus, with his unique, deeply rooted sensibility, brings chic to women of today.

Jacquemus

#2016 – Jacquemus

December 28, 2016July 22, 2020 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s Paris, and it feels like a breath of fresh air coming along Jacquemus‘ autumn-winter 2016. The city of French fashion is undergoing a wave of youthful talent – and Simon Porte Jacquemus represents that perfectly with his extraordinary, yet wearable garments. “I would like there to be less industry and more poetry” is what he declared backstage, minutes before the show. It was all about a surrealist illusion this season – the dresses floated in the air and spaghetti straps were magically elevated above the shoulders. The exaggerated shoulders, although distinctly reminded the old, good Martin Margiela, introduced us to other arty shapes and geometric cuts – sometimes, they looked even too grotesque, as in case of the “mini-skirt” worn with a pastel-blue turtleneck. But what was the most genuine from the entire collection was the expanded accessory line – block-heeled “rond carré” shoes, asymmetrical gloves in tangerine orange and cute, kidney-shaped bags are the highlights.

Jacquemus frequently mentions his typically French child-hood as a continous inspiration for his collections and spring-summer 2017 is not an exception. But his newest “story”, as he tends to call it, is much more refined. The designer searched deep in Provençal folk culture, and he conveyed the mood of a sun-drenched, care-free French village girl in a brilliant way.

Jacquemus loves the term ‘naive’. There’s always something childish about his collections – for SS17, it’s definitely the setting of his venue: a fake, orange sun glowed at the end of the runway, radiating with summer nostalgia. First element of the show that caught my eye was a range of lovely, straw hats, or chapeau de paille if you prefer French. The dresses with voluminous sleeves and over-sized pinstripe suits are on everybody’s lips for spring, but Simon managed to make them look eternally chic. In fact, the collection isn’t about a new idea or silhouette. Borrowed-from-a-guy shirt, block-heeled shoes, geometrical culottes and sexy cuts are very Jacquemus. I guess that’s the appeal of this collection: it’s focused on weekend-perfect ready-to-wear with an arty twist.

Simon is the designer, who brings joy to the fashion industry – looking at his collections, you can forget about the world for at least a second.

La Santons de Provence. Jacquemus SS17

September 28, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Simon Porte Jacquemus, like Christelle Kocher or Glenn Martens, is a represantative of Paris’ new generation of most daring and exciting fashion designers. Jacquemus frequently mentions his typically French child-hood as a continous inspiration for his collections, and spring-summer 2017 is not an exception. But his newest “story”, as he tends to call it, is much more refined. The designer searched deep in Provençal folk culture, and he conveyed the mood of a sun-drenched, care-free French village girl in a brilliant way.

Jacquemus loves the term naive. There’s always something childish about his collections, and this season it’s definitely the setting of his venue: a fake, orange sun glowed at the end of the runway, radiating with summer nostalgia. First element of the show that caught my eye was a range of lovely, straw hats, or chapeau de paille if you prefer French. The dresses with voluminous sleeves and over-sized pinstripe suits are on everybody’s lips for spring, but Simon managed to make them look eternally chic. In fact, the collection isn’t about a new idea or silhouette. Borrowed-from-a-guy shirt, block-heeled shoes, geometrical culottes and sexy cuts are very Jacquemus. I guess that’s the appeal of this collection: it’s focused on weekend-perfect ready-to-wear with an arty twist. And it’s quite easy to wear, if you take it off the runway!