Jacquemus x Chloe Wise & Delphine Desane

About some of Jacquemus’ artistic collaborations.

It is hard to decide what to pinpoint within the prolific number of collaborations with and inspirations from artists Simon Porte Jacquemus has been engaging into. Indeed, the highly successful¹ 31 years old designer has never been shy to reference artists and artworks directly in his clothes (as for example Paul Cezanne or Henri Matisse on his shirts).  But what is more interesting to me and what I want to focus on here are his collaborations with contemporary artists for his marketing campaigns. As an advocate for diversity, Jacquemus carefully crafts his marketing campaigns to represent sexual, racial, cultural and gender diversity in front the camera (and the easel) and behind. From photographers to painters, Jacquemus knows how to craft a successful marketing moment – including from before and during to after the show for that matter.

For its Spring/Summer Collection 2019, Jacquemus worked with Chloe Wise² to create a painting full of references to the Mediterranean where the designer is from, to Summer bliss and saturated colors. If some specific items from the collection are readily recognizable, it is interesting because Chloe Wise remained true to her style, focusing on the mingling of body parts and “regular” objects. She consistently focuses on the making of the self in relationship with the physicality of the body, mingling consumption and commercial image-making.

If she mainly does this to make a point, criticize some aspects of our consumer society, or call out big labels or famous (controversial) figures, the painting she did for Jacquemus is an ode to hedonism in its purest form. There is no extra element, no marketing fuss embodying a form of discrete elevated luxury Jacquemus stands for. He knows how to choose the artists to work with to best embody his clothes by also taking a political or social stance. Chloe Wise is very vocal about capitalism or social inequalities through her work and through social media. 

For its Spring/Summer Collection 2021, he decided to work with Delphine Desane³, who, even if less vocal on social media, represents intersectional diversity. She is a Black Woman painting Black Women. As a former stylist, she has a fashion eye and gives agency to her models singling them out on a pastel background. Jacquemus is again taking a clear stance for more diversity within the creative industry at large, by going beyond the increasingly standard diversity of models (even if there is still a huge amount of work to be done there). He is blurring the lines between fashion as a craft and fine arts, amplifying the political component of them both, and mastering social media as the most efficient tool to make his voice heard.

He commissioned paintings from these two women giving visibility to underrepresented artists in a cutthroat contemporary art market. At the same time, he is elevating his craft to the rank of art by having them paint his clothes. What is more, the use of such a traditional medium as painting stands out in a maison that has no physical store of its own, does most of its sales online since inception, and stages social-media friendly shows in an effort to reach as many people as possible.

By this physical medium, Jacquemus bridges the gap between physical art and digital marketing, between social media-friendly shows and the materiality of clothing. This channel allows him to retain an aura of sophistication harder to maintain with less elaborate far-reaching marketing campaigns. Jacquemus is a genius designer -he has just been nominated for the CFDA award of best international fashion designer- but he is also a marketing genius who knows how to surround himself to identify what speaks to the current zeitgeist beyond the small circle of parisian fashion.

In a time of cancel culture, where everything one says is scrutinized and criticized, Jacquemus gracefully manages to make his voice heard, in the right way. He is progressively taking his spot as a cultural icon, beyond trivial fashion. I could be tempted to say that only time will tell but it is quite obvious it has already told. 

Sources:
1. For an explanation of why we all love him and why we should all love him please refer to this HighSnobiety article about the SS22 show La Montagne. Accessed 16 Sept. 2021.
2. Chloe Wise’s personal website, for more about Chloe Wise: Almine Reich Gallery’s website. Accessed 17 Sept. 2021.
3. Delphine Desane’s personal website, for more about Delphine Desane: Artsy. Accessed Sept. 17 2021.