A moment of closing the circle in plain sight. the 15th The anniversary show that Jacquemus presented in Capri, which attracted a select group of guests led by Gwyneth Paltrow, Dua Lipa and the model of the day Jennie Kim under the hot Mediterranean sun, was a show of fashion strength mixed with emotion predictable and a pinch of novelty for founder Simon Porte Jacquemus.
It could have been a flashy or nostalgia-soaked event given the milestone, but with its more intimate dimension, it struck the ideal balance between the designer's signature cinematic staging, the VIP list and the fashion quotient, which was based on the direction Jacquemus's most exclusive. taking and pointed the way forward for the brand. As is the arrow shape of the place, which, let's be honest, might have made the show worth it on its own.
Securing the modernist Italian villa Casa Malaparte, a closed-to-most architectural marvel located atop a cliff on one of the world's prettiest islands, was a great way to cement Jacquemus' credibility and place him alongside leading brands. luxury that have tried to organize events on catwalks. there in the past. It was also a matter of authenticity: Jacquemus chose the red building in homage to one of his favorite films, Jean-Luc Godard's “Le Mépris,” whose aesthetic inspired the designer's vision of fashion a few years ago. 15 years.
Meeting the press before the show in Curzio Malaparte's own former studio, Jacquemus recalled the excitement of being invited to dinner by the family of the late journalist, writer and diplomat after years of dreaming of seeing the inside of the residence. “I was scared when I got home because beauty can be very dangerous, you don't want to play with it in some way, because you love something so much that is so pure,” he said.
That is also why his initial idea of creating a “very haute couture show” for the anniversary became a smaller gathering out of respect for the place. “I didn't want to make a show, I wanted to make a collection about the house. AND [the family said] Nobody ever proposed that. “A lot of people were told no because they didn't want to use the house just as a performance venue.”
The most striking nod to the building was a print inspired by the tiled floor inside, but it was the lovely palette of vibrant sky blue, red, shades of yellow and bright sage and the lineup's overall graphic approach that ultimately stood out. . Jacquemus wanted to embrace a “Mediterranean vibe in a very pure way” as he dives deeper into minimalist silhouettes and veers toward more upscale fabrics, like leather and suede, to convey a focus on craftsmanship and overall elevation. Of the brand.
The show began with an homage to Brigitte Bardot's character in Godard's film through a fuzzy canary yellow coat that mimicked a terry cloth robe and closed with Jennie Kim providing the Instagram spotlight of the day by modeling a full-skirted black dress and revealing back.
In between, the see now, buy now fall 2024 collection alternated the structured textures and sharp lines of dresses and coats with wide vertical collars, A-line skirts and stiff dresses with ruffled blouses, long sheer muslin skirts and fluid drapes of sensual knit dresses with slits in the back or sides to reveal legs, thigh bones and more.
An occasional zebra pattern appeared on coats and pencil skirts, telegraphing a more bourgeois vibe, while on menswear the same print enhanced the slightly more playful spirit Jacquemus embraced through nautical motifs and pleated below-the-knee trousers. knee. (The designer's preferred choice, however, would be look 36, with its cropped jacket and streamlined pants that give it a “'90s Armani vibe, and I love Mr. Armani so much.”)
Pinned to Jacquemus' mood board, images of Capri's style queen Jackie Kennedy further pointed to an ease in dressing that doesn't compromise on glamour. “With her capri pants and her sailor tops, I found it so refreshing that she needed to look toward simplicity,” Jacquemus said. A few images to the right, a portrait of Paltrow appeared “because today who would be that kind of woman?” I think she actually is Gwyneth,” he said of the actress.
Following in the footsteps of the likes of Julia Roberts and Kristin Davis, who were at the brand's “Le Sculpture” show in January, it's clear that Paltrow's attendance reflects the more mature audience Jacquemus is welcoming into her world. The designer confirmed that the previous show also marked a big change in sales, as the company never sold as much ready-to-wear as it did with the spring 2024 collection.
“Now we are finally accepting the luxury customer. “It’s what I want and it will take time,” Jacquemus said. “It's been 15 years but I'm still a teenage brand. I am so aware that I have a lot of art to recognize… I am so respectful of the savoir-faire that exists around the world. [luxury] but I'm working hard.
“When I was younger I was just trying to do something new, now I think about the longevity of the brand,” he continued, noting that he recently became a father as a factor that further sparked his long-term vision. “But I don't want to become like the others. [brands] I also don't want to maintain what we are, maintain honesty… My proudest moment of the last 15 years was being able to grow and be very aware of what my strengths are. I know exactly what I'm doing. Now I want people to understand that I work for the long term and not for a good check, that is not my priority,” he concluded.
