Jacquemus Spring 2021

A show spectacle situated among a golden barley field that felt unbelievably dreamy, Simon Porte Jacquemus presented his Spring 2021 collection for his eponymous brand that created a touch of fantasy, allowing us to escape our current and unprecedented reality.

Not one to abstain from an Instagram opportunity, Jacquemus was bravely one of the first fashion designers to exhibit a runway show amid the COVID moment. Models, both men, and women glided through a scene that saw shafts of wheat amid barley fields in Vexin Regional National Park. The runway was a 600-meter-long stroll for the 55 models who were adorned in a modern state of mesmerizing minimalism, with 100 attendees, accommodated at a safe space from one another. Famous faces that were primarily covered (of course) included Isabelle Adjani, Jean Damas, and Maisie Williams.

The spellbinding extracts in Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven and Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World were reimaged throughout the Spring 2021 show that was titled L’Amour – resulting in a production of pictorial poetry. It was alluring, slightly downhearted, albeit complete with purity and desire, feelings which were reflected by Jacquemus and his fashion team.

Simon Porte Jacquemus recalled in a statement, “Not long after my team was separated from each other, we were all in our homes feeling the desire to work, and a new vision of the collection emerged. We became a human chain, every step of the creative process executed with love.”

Beautiful pieces arrived in yellow, cream and black coquettish slip dresses, high slit pencil shirts, and exaggerated shirts that came either cropped or with plunging necklines. An idealized version of country life could be identified throughout the collection, where a variety of references were portrayed via gingham dresses and tops featuring appliqués that echoed barley spikes and leaves. Further women’s looks included lashings of linen, high-waist pants, and bra-like crop-tops, while over in the men’s corner saw an outing of smooth tailoring fashioned in crisp, summery materials and printed shirts. The designer wanted to create a mindful collection with coherent pieces, ultimately knowing that they would be likely to stay on the shelves longer than usual.

Accessories made a statement of their own through a truly unique assortment of Joan Miro-esque spiral earrings, teeny-tiny wicker bags, a purse that carried a single plate, strappy high heels and necklaces and bracelets crafted from soap.

The overall showcase captured a dreamlike zeitgeist, and this was mainly due to the seductive yet functional collection fashioned in front of an ethereal out-of-a-painting backdrop, and somewhat since the “old normal” appears very detached from our present new-normal of isolation and ambiguity.