Lavender Day Dreams
It’s summer in Provence, the sky is a muted orange, and the air is filled with the scent of lavender baking in the sun. The land of the South of France is pristine just as nature intended… minus an unending bright pink runway draped over the rolling hills. As dawn envelops the scene white butterflies come to play and so does Jacquemus.
Simon Porte Jacquemus is a 29-year-old French designer from Mallemort in southern France. On a small farm, not too far from the lavender fields, is where his love for clothing began. “When I was seven years old, I pulled a linen curtain, I grabbed a converse shoe lace, I took a big kitchen knife, I made eight holes on each side and designed a skirt just like that.” He made it for his mother, she said it suited her, and so he kept going. All of his collections have been inspired by his playful childhood. They all hold the aura of a windy summer day in Marseille where life is beautiful, and people smile often. His clothing compliments the Mediterranean man and woman who is free and wears their clothing authentically. Monday, Jacquemus celebrated his line’s 10-year anniversary and it was nothing short of marvelous. The show “Coupe de Soleil”, or sunburn, was intended to bring alive a Christo instillation or a David Hockney painting. The show represents everything that is the whimsical, sun-kissed South of France that the designer so closely identifies with. His clothing oozes sexy sophistication and for the first time this collection was made unisex, for everyone.
Image Courtesy: Make It Last
The invite list was comprised of influencers, journalists and friends. They received a small bottle of sunscreen with “Coupe de Soleil” written across it alluding to what awaited. They were seated half way along the rolling runway in the middle of the lavender field and were given white umbrellas to shade from the sun and enjoy the magic.
Down the rolling hill in the distance came the models. The clothing draped over them in the most effortless ways. Most of the clothing was baggy but a lot of it was also deconstructed and form fitting. The couture of this collection is a pallet of saturated sun-drenched colors which can be easily pictured worn on a rocky beach in the Mediterranean or… on your Instagram feed.
Jacquemus, well recognized for his artistic and playful Instagram, used the platform to show case his show for those who couldn’t be there in person. The fields, the models and the clothing were curated so beautiful that they rolled over our algorithm for hours. One of the things that makes the designer so popular is that he knows how to use social media as an asset to woe his audience in dramatic ways.
After the show was over, Jacquemus hosted unquestionably the best after party of spring/summer 2020 fashion week. Off the lavender fields and down a winding dirt road was yet another whimsical scene, except this one was a party. The designer, the models and the guest alike all came together after the show and danced until the sun rose again.
Strike Out,
Writer: Alessandra Cruz
Editor: Savannah Tindall
Tallahassee