Simon Porte Jacquemus
JACQUEMUS
like Abloh, Simon porte jacquemus has no formal fashion training. born in the south of france, he moved to paris to study at the École Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la mode, but left four weeks later after the sudden death of his mother. in 2009, aged just 19, he launched a ready-to-wear brand named after her (jacquemus being her maiden name), which he funded by working at the comme des garçons store in paris. in 2015, he won the lvmh Special prize for his surreal take on french classics; his women are sexy, confident, fun.
At the start of the year he teased his 500,000-plus instagram followers with #newjob, revealing in february that he would be creating his own menswear. would the clothes be as daring as his women’s offering?
the defining image of the jacquemus man was set in a photograph the designer uploaded to instagram in may of the french rugby player yoann maestri. porte jacquemus had shot him post-swim, gambolling on the rocks by a sparkling sea with his dog, wearing a pair of fresh white shorts. the collection of cotton tracksuits, summer wool ribbed knits, v-neck tank tops, tiny trunks, cargo pants and knowingly crass floral-printed shirts evoke the sensuality and spirit of mediterranean men. As he wrote in his show notes, ‘i grew up here, surrounded by black suits worn on unbuttoned polkadot shirts. barefoot, bare chest, strong perfume. i grew up here, in the mediterranean. my mediterranean.’