m.a.g.
FASHION. MY OBSESSION WITH JACQUEMUS
«DECLARATION (CLARIFICATION) OF INTENT». I dare to write an eulogy about Simon (Porte JACQUEMUS) as if he were one of the great master couturiers of the 20th century. Admiration borders on obsession. Habeas corpus granted, I only have good opinions in this regard, all of which are clearly stated below.
According to my photo archive, the first time I saved a photo/image of JACQUEMUS was « LA BOMBA » t-shirt that they sold on their website («L’OBJET DU DESIR»). After seeing this, it is not clear to me the first time I heard about it, but among the hazy memories I have a very vivid feeling of fascination when I first saw the campaign video, directed by Gordon von Steiner. An alliance of 1:49 minutes that, indisputably, worked very well. After that would come an endless number of screenshots, saved photos and assumed references. « LA BOMBA », « LA BOMBA », « LA BOMBA », « LE CHIQUITO », « LE SOUK », « L`AMOUR », « L`ANNÉ 97 », « IMAGES », « LA MONTAGNE », « LE SPLASH », « LA BOMBA », « L`ANNÉ 97 », « L`ANNÉ 97 », « LE SPLASH », « LE PAPIER », “LE RAPHIA”, « IMAGES », « LE PAPIER »,“LE RAPHIA”… and like that, constantly in an unfinished loop.
JACQUEMUS has managed to become a visual benchmark of our times. The history of fashion and trends of the last ten years cannot be written without ceasing to talk about him. If we mention the name of the brand, we are not only talking about garments, we are referring to a visual universe, to a defined and unmistakable style that transcends fabrics as a means of expression, we are not talking about clothes, we are talking about stories.
These are some of the photos I keep. I also bought the t-shirt. I keep it among the crown jewels that are always in my suitcase wherever I go.
The 20th century was known as «THE AGE OF DESIGNERS». Haute couture reaches its zenith, fashion becomes avant-garde and glamour. The designers acquire a new prestigious status and begin to sign their creations as if they were works of art. Many of the designers who give names to the great houses that today set the pace of the industry and current trends appear. Fashion is globalized, clothing is no longer a hallmark of national identity and, thanks to the speed of the media, new designs are disseminated throughout the world…
The most noticeable difference between those glorious days and today is that now almost all of these famous brands no longer go it alone, hand in hand with their workshops and their designers as they used to. The large conglomerates in the luxury sector have gradually monopolized everything in their path and leave very little room for small businesses outside of this establishment to succeed. In recent months we have seen Tom Ford sell his brand to Estée Lauder; Ricardo Tisci and Alessandro Michele retiring from Burberry and Gucci respectively; and Raf Simon to close his namesake brand to go to Prada. If these four names (none of them small) don’t tell us something about the consequences that this new configuration seems to be having; The truth is that I can’t think of any other case that can better exemplify it.
Despite this being the dominant scheme, next to these large skyscrapers there are some small houses that are much younger and independent and no less powerful and revolutionary beacuse of that, that even being millions of euros away, have already earned a place in the list of «names» to take into account when we talk about the subject, and who demonstrate with their success that it is time to assume that there is something in this entire system that definitely has to change. JACQUEMUS is obviously one of the best examples of this
JACQUEMUS’ first major media exposure as a brand was in 2011, with its “La Mode, La Mode, La Mode”happening/protest, outside the Dior show, during Paris Fashion Week. With this excellent spontaneous marketing strategy, he not only managed to attract the attention of the specialized press and break another of the impenetrable walls of this world, but he also made his first declaration of intentions about what his approach to the industry would be like, making clear the spirit that would define him as an entrepreneur and as a creator: “I started by strikes and by happenings in front of Dior Show… I had no money to do a show so I was out of Dior with my girls and with all my friends”, he comments to Alexa Chung in a British Vogue video. From then on, the brand has been known for having its own calendar and for organizing shows outside of the traditional Paris agenda. Who cares Paris? Many of his presentations have even taken place in the south of France, where the designer is from, a region to which he constantly refers in his campaigns and collections.
Another peculiarity of the brand is that until recently it did not have a physical store, they have practically built an emporium through retailers and direct sales on their website. A subversive example of knowing how to break with what we are used to. During all this time he has flirted with the physical space creating Pop-Up stores that, like the 2011 protest, have managed to capture the attention of social networks and have caused long lines of customers and buyers, eager to take their products as collectible pieces to their homes. Demonstrating that regardless of the design, in our times the concept also plays a fundamental role when it comes to creating and marketing a product.
Known for his soft silhouettes, his sexy draping, and his asymmetrical designs since his first collections, Vogue defined him as follows: “(…)happy, excited, impatient, and all those qualities are present in his fun clothes and impressive presentations. Charm is a quality often attributed to this largely self-taught designer” ; and it is that Jacquemus has an aura of familiarity that many of us cannot resist. In his person there is a feeling of naturalness and closeness that achieve an unmistakable feeling of natural identification. This is influenced by the fact that he himself manages the brand’s social networks. Perhaps it is a generational theme, but the mixture of all his colorful universe, with the nostalgia for his childhood, the respect for his roots, the loss of his mother as the driving force for creation, his affective relationship with his grandmother, his love story, the celebratory spirit, the constant feeling of fun; they make us long for much more than being able to wear their clothes being just simple JACQUEMUS girls and boys.
With each campaign, in each collection and each new show, the true feeling that it provokes in us is the desire to want to participate. We are happy about his success, but at the same time it generates an indescribable need in us to want to be part of his world, where it is perceived that there are almost no borders when it comes to creating and that it is the medium that depends on the creativity.
For some, the runaway of “LE COUP DE SOLEIL” SS 2020 Ready-to-wear collection marks the turning point in the designer’s career. A giant pink walkway between the lavender fields of La Provence celebrating the brand’s 10th Anniversary. His intention with this show is to give a message to the new generations: «I always want to give a message that’s positive to the young generation: ‘Look, I am self-made, it’s possible!’ (…) I want to bring the sunshine—that’s it.” And certainly, despite the ovation that the catwalk received on social networks, after the triumph we see a creator who takes advantage of the success to question himself and to reflect on the future, about his role and responsibility in the industry: “question myself, what am I doing in fashion? It’s incredible what happened, but still, it’s important to tell young people today: I am successful—but I still have doubts. So I decided to slow down my company, to show just summer and winter. It’s also a decision to make my company feel good, you know? We sat down and said, we have to do this with more sense—do we really need a hundred fabrics, when we could use 10?”
Undoubtedly, this is a moment of important consolidation, but it is clear that long before JACQUEMUS had already managed to build his own voice, making masterful use of the influences that art has in his work: design, architecture and decoration. In addition to his famous bags and clothes, he has produced books, jewelry, objects, accessories, and even pieces for home that are convincing proof of the inexhaustible source of fertility, creativity, and versatility that the designer has for to create.
A friend, and editor, asks me: “Why Jacquemus and not Fendi?”… or Chanel, or Gucci, or Dior. And with this question she forces me to do the complex exercise of distancing. She pushes me to observe myself and I realize that the influence is as familiar thar is already part of my identity. Even some friends who know me well think of me when they see something of him.
And others know me so much that they know I like it and invite me to write about it. To answer my friend I can say that it was love at first sight, a mixture of Philia with Storge (according to the types of love defined by the Greeks). The motives are clear: the discovery of a paradigm, the appreciation of beauty, the need to build an identity, the constant obstinacy to find a medium that allows me to expose who I am. All these things caught my attention, I couldn’t turn my head and just go on. I was dazzled, mesmerized and over time the dazzle turned into admiration; And to top it off, he’s handsome. Who wouldn’t want a father like Simon for their children? I must confess that I have written to him more than once, exploring the possibility of collaborating. Until now I have not had an answer but I always end my emails and messages the same: “…I’m gonna try pushing til I get what I dream about. There’s no way to stop trying to make a dream come true. Have a wonderful (day of the week)! Thank you!!!” Let it be clear that I am not going to stop.
A headline from the BOF portal announces Jacquemus: Bigger Than You Think, referring to the sales projection for 2016, but there is no better sentence than this to define and summarize his story. Like a snowball effect, or rather of straw, wheat,
lavender or sand, we are in the presence of the first stage in which this mass, as it rises and rises, only grows. It is clear that up to now we have witnessed the beginning of a trajectory that will continue to give much to talk about. For now, we can only stand by, celebrating Simon’s success and creations. Anxious to see and to know what comes next. What is the ace under the sleeve he´s gonna pull out next time?
While I´m getting ready I continue to feed the hope that, with a bit of luck in a not too distant future, I will not only be a simple spectator but I will also be able to participate.
Words: Luis Rodriguez
Contributor: Gabriela Rodriguez