By Yousra Bachine
This is the time of fashion week, and everyone is looking at the great designs that are taking over the runways in Europe. Fashion weeks are the spots to be for new creators and for all the personalities out there; and definitely for people who are passionate about fashion. It is the time to shine for every established designer who are making their first steps to perform an exhibition of their work.
On the topic of fashion designers and creators, Jacquemus recently had their road to success.
Simon Porte Jacquemus, is a 32 year old fashion designer who is considered a ‘self made man’. He comes from a small village located in the countryside near the South of France. He was raised in a conservative family of farmers and had no relation to the world of fashion. It was only at 19 years old (specifically after the death of his mother), that he decided to follow his heart and give himself a chance by creating his brand Jacquemus; which is the maiden name of his mother. After the death of his mother, he realised that life is short and that he needed to act for what he really wanted in life. So he created his brand even if he had no connection to the world of fashion in his childhood and with no one to support him from a fashion background.
The beginning of his career was in 2009, where he made his creations popular by not conforming to the normal standard. He tried to draw people’s attention in 2010 during Vogue’s Fashion Night Out in Paris, where he wanted Emmanuelle Alt (the editor-in-chief for Vogue France at that time), to notice his collection. His clothes were worn by his friends who agreed to support him at this time. Eventually in 2012, he was invited to be part of Paris Fashion Week, which is a huge deal for a fashion designer, especially a French one.
The clothes that the brand was creating were made out of a workwear fabric. Jacquemus was obviously not as wealthy as today, so he had to find a material that would not cost him much and make him able to create a collection that was still loved by many. The workwear fabric enabled him to have his “naive” touch to his creation. The adjective naive is how Jacquemus describes his collections, and the feeling that he gets from his clothes.
The way he designs his clothes and creates outfits is often described as simple, minimalist, elegant but original. The cut and shapes he incorporates are unique, and some of his creations are considered iconic like the dress Robe Samade worn by Gigi Hadid when she made her famous hair flip. He loves the white and beige tones as well as vivacious colours, but the whole identity of Jacquemus comes with a sense of purity and clarity. Jacquemus is giving his collections meaning by trying to evoke these particular feelings and emotions.
According to him, his success comes from the fact that he is ‘true to himself‘ and he tries to remain as authentic as possible. The success of Jacquemus is also due to his social media presence and management. He knows that his followers are following him because he is behind his account, and managing everything by himself; and expressing his own personality with honesty and sincerity. That’s also the case for his brand, he manages a team of sixty people in a very ‘paternalistic way’, as his employees describe him. The majority of people that started the company with him are still there today and working to make Jacquemus a bigger name in the fashion industry.
Jacquemus also has a different approach to fashion as he really wants to make and create fashion in a cleaner way. Sustainable fashion is an important pillar for Jacquemus as he wishes to use 50% of recycled materials for his collections and clothes in the future. Step by step, Jacquemus is creating a new fashion identity and with the intention to remain independent. Simon Porte is declining all the offers of big houses that want to buy Jacquemus, and the collaborations that don’t fit the identity of his brand and the message he wants to deliver. He is in charge of designing, management and takes part of most of the business aspects of his brand. He really is in control!
His collections are influenced with the love he has for his mother and women’s fashion in the 80’s, especially in France. An important point for Jacquemus is to produce clothes that can be worn on a daily basis by a majority of people.
The brand is a well known name in the world of fashion, the designer creates collections for Fashion Weeks, collaborates with famous models and brands like Nike. He creates clothes for women and men as well as bags, hats and even shoes. And most recently, he opened up his own shop in the Avenue Montaigne in Paris (where it all started for Jacquemus), and it is now located next to important houses like Gucci. This is the kind of success story which is inspirational and makes us believe that dreams do come true!
