BEAUTY: Clothing--Jacquemus

To close Paris Fashion Week, Simon Porte Jacquemus brought his brand to the Orangerie at the Palace of Versailles for his SS '26 collection. Called "Le Paysan" or "The Peasant" in English, the lyrical yet powerfully simple collection was inspired by his birthplace and family roots in Provence in the south of France. He comes from a long line of farmers and growers so his moodboard was covered with pictures of people tending fields or selling their green produce at roadside stands--but one sweet picture was of his grandmother dressed all in black with three large baskets of her harvest.

Jacquemus says that his family were always very supportive of his dream to be a fashion designer even if it meant leaving the land he was born on--and into--to achieve that dream. Fittingly the show opened with a little boy, an obvious stand-in for his own child self, opening a massive door to let the models into the show space. Knowing all this makes the sentiment of the show quite touching. The garments themselves possess an unadorned dignity, and I love that what seems like a skirt is actually a multi-pleated apron. Jackets are divested of lapels, and classic espadrilles lace up the leg like they do in the south of France. But it was the accessories that tied the narrative together: farm boxes full of cherries, strawberries, and tomatoes, all crafted from leather; a string of garlic hanging from a waist, also in leather; and a clutch made to look like a large leek. It is quite moving to see a heartfelt, authentic tribute like this to family, history, and the land.

https://www.jacquemus.com/