The rocky island of Corsica is exactly what you would expect when picturing the Jacquemus brand. Wind-swept, sun-soaked, and with the Mediterranean waves crashing. And we picture it so well because it echoes Simon Porte Jacquemus’ childhood. For the designer, leaning back to the nostalgic memories of his childhood is what anchors most of his work. It also functions as another way to keep his late mother alive, a woman who is the driving force for the designer and muse.
So we can take ‘Le Bonheur’ to be another tribute. Translating to ‘Happiness’, the collection at large takes inspiration from Jacquemus vacationing with his mother, who he notes he has never seen happier than when in Corsica.
At the front row, a collection of famed faces. Actresses Isabelle Huppert and Eye Haidara, actor Park Seo Joon, Manon Bannerman from the girl group KATSEYE, and Alexandra Leclerc, among others, sat alongside Liline Jacquemus, Jacquemus’ grandmother and the first-ever brand ambassador of the house.
With charming sailboats spelling out the house name, models began a long and arduous walk from a quaint lighthouse. It helped that the fabrics—built for a summer like this—were crafted and constructed to be airy, flowy silhouettes. Cotton poplin shirtdresses, thin leather suits, and sheer organza maxi dresses all made their way down the runway alongside ruffled skirts, striped-collared shirts, and thin white duster coats.
Taking from the experimentation of previous seasons, we also saw new forms of texture appear on the runway. Beyond pleated designs, there were also feather-y garments which, from afar, looked like polka dot print, a dress in fabric applique that looked like fish scales, and a paper-thin feather skirt that flapped in the wind.
The forms for most outfits were fluid—with some cuffing at the calves to create a sort of cocooning—complementing the winds that blow in Corsica but overall delivering a lightness that Simon Jacquemus is trying to convey. Sleeves and pant legs are as wide as they can go, tube dresses drape down naturally, and midi and maxi skirts are brought to life with movement caused by their architecture. While the majority of looks weren’t exclusively modest, the lightweight fabrics make them ideal for layering, which allows the modest dresser to experiment with texture and colour.
And speaking of colour, as the collection pulls from memory, so does the colour palette. Featuring vivid shades of reds, pinks, and greens, the collection oscillated from stark brightness to muted hues of mustard yellow, pale blue, sage green, and dark orange. Accessories also followed suit with white and cream headscarves and candied coloured jelly ballet flats. These pieces cement the light practicality of the collection, pieces that are naturally taken from a suitcase and worn immediately.
Reportedly aiming to elevate the summer wardrobe, Jacquemus achieves it expertly while also spotlighting the island of Corsica. Casting local models to walk the runway and working to rebuild and preserve the lighthouse that anchors the show, the house has given back to the island, which gave the designer so many fond memories to live in.
