Jacquemus x Tanya Lyons

Season after season, Simon Porte Jacquemus refreshes and updates his signature feminine fashion with a show that is always poised to become a social media sensation as soon as the first model walks down the runway. In fact, each of them is a full-fledged artistic production that takes place in outstanding locations. The most impressive shows have proven to be the SS ones, set in nature and powerfully connecting with the fashion designs as Jacquemus is heavily influenced by natural elements, especially the ones thriving under hotter weather. 

“Le soleil” is one of the things he lists as elements he likes in his Instagram description (with blue and white, stripes, fruits, life, poetry, Marseille and the 80s). Yet, the one thing that was absent for the latest Jacquemus show that took place in Hawai’i for SS22, appropriately named “le Splash”, was the sun. In fact, pouring rain graced the set of the show for more than an hour before they were able to proceed. A good omen according to Hawaiian locals. 

The show was set on a beach of the island of O’ahu overlooking the Ko’olau mountains. Another “awe inspiring landscape” to which Jacquemus is familiar after setting SS20 in a lavender field in Provence and SS21 in a wheat field near Us. This show, the first one outside of France, added another obsession-color to the vocabulary of the brand. After fuchsia pink and ochre beige, the stage was this time cerulean blue, recalling the shiny hue of the island’s ocean. 

Bright and bold colors have become the signature of the brand, so much so that they opened a pink-focused pop-up in Paris in December and white-focused one in Milan during this February fashion week. Maybe the next one is going to be about blue? Anyways, this season was no different and the designer took it even further into pop references with neon fuchsia, tangerine, turquoise and lime green recalling David Hockney’s landscapes, adorning Summer pieces made from neoprene, or towel fabrics with marine details like luxe life vests, plastic closures, and even tubas and inflatable pool gear as accessories. 

Another element that the designer took one step further is his collaboration with artists, after working with the likes of Chloe Wise and Delphine Desane, he decided to invite Canadian artist Tanya Lyons to design glass beads. If the two previously cited examples were around communication assets, this time Lyons was directly involved in the design of the garments, both for men and women, showing the designer’s obsession with working with other creatives.

She has a background in fashion design and experience in bridging the gap between glass work and textile and therefore seemed like the perfect collaborator to make “Le Splash” vision come to life. Dark and light blue beads shaped in water droplets decorated a men’s suit, white shell-like pearls were sewn onto woven dresses and tops, ice cubes refreshed shorts and suits while tiny pink beads spiced  an overall and dress, a skirt was fully made from transparent glass tiles, effectively creating sculptures and shedding light on the exceptional craftsmanship that goes into glasswork. Lyons also has a special relationship with nature and gets inspiration from the Ottawa Valley she is from and lives in.

Jacquemus has an incredible ability to create newness with what we take for granted. To start off, the DNA of his brand is so strong that it can appear difficult to stand out from one season to the other with such consistent designs. But each new color set, staging of his clothes and variation of his collection creates excitement because of his creative versatility and his willingness to collaborate with other creative minds, not necessarily big names, making his contribution ever interesting.

According to ELLE, “This collection is groundbreaking for many reasons, but most of all, for continuing to cement Jacquemus’ commitment to pioneer a new movement for fashion.” Against the grain, Jacquemus does not set his shows within the traditional fashion week calendar and presents a see-now-buy-now sales model, therefore presenting his collection 6 months after peers for the same season and right before the season in question. 

Another key element of Jacquemus success is his ability to expand the relevance of his designs across geography, generation, and demographics. The Jacquemus woman is not Western-centric, and Jacquemus wants to show his fashion can cater to every culture. Only people from the US and the Asia Pacific region were invited to Hawai’i, expanding the traditional fashion week audience beyond Paris, New York, Milan and London, as the designer underscored that the Jacquemus woman is not French only. For the show, he almost exclusively worked with Islanders, the help of Hawaiian stylist Ben Perreira and creative director Taylor Okata and all the models were cast locally, actually offering an unmatched diversity in front of and on the stage. 

Blackpink’s Jennie, SZA, Jhené Aiko, Bretman Rock or Victor Cruz were notable attendants and show the designer likes to expand his traditional target audience. He worked with Big Bunny on his latest campaign, addressing a younger and more culturally diverse audience, namely Spanish-speaking and Southern American. “I think the Jacquemus woman is not French – she is a sunny person. That’s what the brand is about: sharing, sun, love, and family.” said the designer. Surely the sun is a pretty universal reference.

If several voices criticized staging the show on an island that was hit extremely hard by covid, asked tourists not to travel there and kept masks mandates up to March 5th, Jacquemus indeed took great care in preserving the nature of the island and ensured to leave a minimal environmental footprint as well as to protect local communities. Another element ripe for criticism was the colonial history of the island, but Jacquemus in fact tried to honor the local communities through the whole process. Truth is, he knows everyone is watching him and what he is doing given his international recognition, so he is always going to be a target of criticism but he is aware of it and likely to take all the necessary precautions to prove them wrong before they emerge.

Now what’s next for the designer? “This is my last Pop collection,” Jacquemus said. “Next season I am coming back to something super womanly, a new part of the Jacquemus identity.” stating he is ready to bring his brand and creativity into a new chapter continuing to challenge the industry standards but above all what one expects from him. This hints towards the end of a cycle for the brand and for the Jacquemus woman. After two years in a pandemic during which we were pushed to inward reflection and craved soothing light colors and designs, we are ready to take on the world and engage with the unknown, a new age and the wild wide world. Us, and the Jacquemus woman needs a new suit to take on the challenge.