Jacquemus And The Exaltation Of Monochrome
Coinciding with founder and designer Simon's birthday on 16 January, Jacquemus returned to Paris for the highly-anticipated co-ed showcase of its Pre-Fall 2020 women's and Fall 2020 men's collections this past weekend. Dubbed "The Year '97", the designs came to life against a sparse white runway that cut through the vast La Defense Arena in the French capital, modelled by a cast of top models like Gigi and Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, Liu Wen, Irina Shayk, Parker van Noord, and Laetitia Casta, who returned to the runway after a decade of absence.
With plenty of crowd-favourite silhouettes like oversized suits, strappy dresses, and crop tops paired with pencil skirts, this season's array of looks were washed in mostly neutral tones, although expected pops of colour in pastel yellow, hot pink, and sage green also made an appearance. "It's the first time in my life that I have designed a collection as if it were my last," Simon Porte explained. "The state of the world has made me question why I do my job, and my whole team felt the same. We wanted the collection to be much more meaningful."
Such a mindset led the designer to reflect on the first piece of clothing he ever made. "I was seven when I made a skirt out of a curtain for my mother, and she brought me to school wearing it." The linen pencil skirt at the beginning of the show was a tribute to that memory, and also the reason that the fabric served as an anchor for the collection.
Sensual yet classic femininity seemed instinctive, with curve-enhancing skirts, body-hugging knits, barely-there bralettes, power blazers, and short shorts paired with thigh-high boots. Polo shirts in chenille and short mohair cardiagns lent a studied softness to the silhouettes.
In a sharp contrast to the women's looks, loose silhouettes, baggy trousers, and cargo shirts dominated the men's lineup, given a playful touch with details like trompe l'oeil boxers peeking out from open waistbands.
The viral Le Chiquito bag made a comeback in different colourways, as well as in a new version for men, with a wider strap and metal hooks. Several other new bag shapes also debuted on the runway, like a large velvet-effect tote and supersized belt bags worn over the shoulder, while jewellery made reference to the '90s with large hoops and chunky gold plates.
Check out the entire collection below:
