Jacquemus returned to his native Provence on Monday to reveal his latest collection on top of a mountain of salt at a mine in the Camargue lowlands.
Inspired by his own upcoming wedding, founder Simon Porte Jacquemus sought to evoke a blank slate for the future with a strict palette of white and beige. The show focused mainly on warm weather occasionwear, reinforcing the brand’s now well-established codes with strappy linen dresses, workwear-inspired jumpsuits, beach totes and its hit geometric minibag (this time styled with veils or adorned with long trails of white flowers).
While Jacquemus used to participate in Paris Fashion Week’s official schedule, since 2019 off-calendar, out-of-town runways have become somewhat of a signature. Romps through the French countryside or alongside the ocean in Oahu, Hawaii have allowed Jacquemus to hammer home a summery brand message with memorable, social media-ready moments even while gravitating to a relatively seasonless approach to design. The luminous salt mine setting was a way to bring the brand back to his native Provence while staying away from clichés, the designer told reporters.
Jacquemus has come a long way since his last Provence show in a lavender field in 2019, a show which secured his reputation as a fashion storyteller and sped his transition from up-and-comer to household name.
During a global pandemic that hammered sales for the broader fashion industry, global interest in the 32 year-old designer’s work continued to catch fire — as did sales of his Chiquito bags. The brand had 2021 sales of $200 million, according to market sources.
“Really the brand has exploded. We have three buildings in Paris now,” Jacquemus said.
The brand’s upcoming collaboration with Nike could push awareness to even greater heights. Sneakers, socks, and gloves from a partnership with the sportswear giant collection made their way onto the runway Monday, although most items aren’t set to be revealed before the collection drops on Jacquemus’ website Tuesday. A second drop is set to follow in Nike’s global network of stores.
Jacquemus plans to keep working with Nike as part of an ongoing partnership through the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the designer revealed.
A new chief executive hired from Puig’s Paco Rabanne label, Bastien Daguzan, said the brand was readying itself to usher in a “new era”— exploring new opportunities while solidifying its positioning with a faster pace of communications.
Daguzan declined to comment on industry reports that a fragrance deal with Puig was in the works.
