The buzz about Jacquemus

Remember all the reposted short movies on Instagram with colourful bags travelling on the streets of Paris or on a lake? Have you ever seen the installations with gigantic cherries rolling out of the store and snow topped bags as chalets in the mountains? Remember the spectacular runways in the lavender fields of Provence, in wheat fields or on a sandy beach, with all the names in fashion present? Well, these are just some of the reasons to take a deeper look into Jacquemus fashion brand. But not the only ones. 

It’s time to drop some figures. 15 years ago, Jacquemus was just a young designer with a lust for fashion. Now, the label has now exceeded the sales mark of 200 million euros and employs over 250 people. It has 6.5 million followers on Instagram and (probably) the most commented and re-posted ads in the history of modern fashion. And I have the feeling this is just the beginning. 

The timeline is short and simple… 

“Five years ago, Anna Wintour asked if I want to work for a big house. I said I I have a big house:  it’s called Jacquemus”, the designer wrote on the Instagram account in 2022. And that says it all. 

Simon Porte Jacquemus (35 years old now) named his fashion brand after his mother’s maiden name when he came for the first time in Paris, at 19. In order to finance his label, the young designer worked in retail at Comme des Garçons in Paris for two years during the founding phase. There he met designer Rei Kawakubo, who later became an important mentor and supporter for him. 

In 2013, he launched the “La Piscine” collection at Paris Fashion Week. This collection withdraw a great attention, therefore, in 2014 Simon Porte Jacquemus was a finalist for the LMVH’S Prise for Young Designers and in 2015 received his first award for the LMVH Special jury prize. His minimalistic aesthetic, combined with the inspiration withdraw from his roots of southern France, brought a fresh approach to fashion and the world was noticing.

First it was THE hat (rapidly copied by fast fashion brands). In 2017, Jacquemus caused a stir with an oversized straw hat – the “Le Grand Chapeau Bomba”. Then, from giant he switched to… mini. A miniature bag was the item that has created a massive hype shortly afterwards. “Le Petit Chiquito” (only 8.5 x 5 cm, with a tag of 400 euros) became an absolute bestseller and we saw it from Beyoncé and Rihanna to the biggest fashion influencers in the world. In the same year he was also noticed by the world’s biggest online and department store retailers, from Selfridges to Net-A-Porter. 

In 2018 Simon Porte Jacquemus expanded his fashion house into menswear which was instantly embraced by the industry. In February 2019 he presented, in a warehouse outside Paris, his new collection, with a tiny bag as accessory, again (so tiny even the earpods didn’t have enough space) – the decorations for the space were, again, very important, reminding a Provencal village. 

In June 2019, the French designer returned to his first love – Provence and the lavender fields. In the spectacular landscape of Valensole’s fields, with a fuchsia runway, Simon Porte Jacquemus, to host his spring/summer 2020 show (comprising both mens and womenswear for the first time) on the brand’s 10th anniversary. It was viral – and gained him almost 2 million followers on Instagram in a beat.

Also, this was the year when Jacquemus announced to slow down his cycles, “by showing womenswear and menswear together in January and June, to to reduce the number of shows, slower the pace for my team and partners”  – and he was one of the first designers to make this bold decision.

The pandemic challenge. And an instinct for viral social media. 

Well, when the fashion world was taken by surprise by the lockdown, Jacquemus seemed to get his mind thinking very, very fast. In 2020, Simon posted a series of images snapped in his South of France, one being a simple photo of a woman with an orange and lemon placed beneath her feet, mimicking his cult shoe “Les Chaussures Salvador”. It took the world wide web just some hours that fans around the world to recreate the image with items found in their homes. Some copied directly with citrus fruits, others with plates, flowers. Simon created the hashtag #JacquemusAtHome and a trend was born, all in an afternoon. He then shared these images on the Jacquemus Instagram page, celebrating the creativity of his customers. 

It was marketing genius? Probably yes. And it is not a surprise for a designers whose first guerrilla marketing move (at the beginning of his career) was to send a group of girlfriends dressed in wool sweaters and miniskirts made from his designs to storm up Vogue’s Fashion Night Out party on Paris’ Avenue Montaigne, with cardboards signs with the slogan “We want Jacquemus!”.

The story went on and on … 

• His spring/summer 2021 collection, “L’Amour”, had themes of simplicity and romance or, as Simon says 🙂 “Like a simple country wedding or a harvest festival”. The show took place in a wheat field an hour outside of Paris – another iconic scene checked and viral snapshots flooded the Internet briefly after the show where, due to the restrictions, only 100 guests could participate. 

• 2022 came with another spectacular runways. Simon Porte Jacquemus has decided to bring his spring/summer 2022 collection on the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii – “Le Spash” merged local land, art and fashion in one colourful collection – while the fall/winter 2022 défilé was taken in Southern France’s Camargue scene, all the runway being surrounded by gigantic mounds of salt.

• A new year, another smart move: Nike announced its newest women’s-focused collection with Jacquemus with the collaborative capsule first previewed in mid-May 2022. “We designed women’s athletic wear with sensuous details and neutral colours, along with my own interpretation of the Humara, my favorite Nike shoe”, said Simon Porte Jacquemus. The collaboration continued in 2023, and a new pair of sneakers called JF1 was released.

• In June 2023, Beyoncé was dressed by Jacquemus when she performed in Marseille’s Vélodrome. Later in the month, on 26 June, Jacquemus’ eponymous brand revealed its fall/winter 2023 collection along the Grand Canal at Le Château de Versailles, where the famous guests (including Beckham couple) were transported by small rows. 

• Jacquemus’ spring/summer 2024 “Les Sculptures” presentation of the collection took place in the south of France, at the Fondation Maeght, among works of art by Giacometti, Braque, and Calder. Finally, fall/winter 2024-2025 collection fashion show “La Casa” took place at Casa Malaparte, Capri, Italy. We cannot wait to see what’s next!

All about marketing?

For sure, Simon Porte Jacquemus knows how social media works. With now 6.2 million followers, he implements targeted storytelling marketing perfectly. We had, on Instagram, movies with Bambino bags racing through Paris or Mule Plat Ballet shoes speeding through the sea. We saw gigantic tools for sewing and cutting parading in front of St.Tropez boutique store and sun-burnt tattoos with Jacquemus logo to sunbeds and ice-cream trucks or very instagramable boutiques (one example is the Le Cafe Fleurs in Seoul, which promoted their La Bambimou).

For the final…

… just wanna to mention the most iconic Jacquemus bags & shoes. Le Chiquito (with a trapezoidal silhouette and rounded top handle), Le Bambino (distinguished by its signature flap detail and rectangular shape) and Le Panier Soli – for the bags. And do not forget the names: the Portofino pumps (ankle-wrap sandals are distinguished by the beads and gold detailing on its heels), Les Mules Plates Ballet (with a straight square toe) and, of course, Air Humara (in collaboration with Nike).

Photography: Facebook & Instagram pages of Jacquemus.