Jacquemus RTW Fall 2023
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Guests at the Jacquemus show at the Palace of Versailles on Monday afternoon could imagine themselves in any number of famous French paintings, or historical films, as they were ferried in small rowboats on the Grand Canal, shielding themselves from the sun with ivory-colored parasols and taking in the grandeur of the chateau in the distance.
Baroque music from the time of Louis XIV swelled from speakers shielded by camouflage amid the conical hedges as the 75 vessels were lined up along the red runway hugging one shore.
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The fashion show had started as soon as VIP guests stepped out of their black cars for the photo call: Emily Ratajkowski in a skimpy bra top and tutu, “Queen Charlotte” star India Ria Amarteifio in an off-the-shoulder skirt suit with a plunging décolleté, and Eva Longoria in a linen pantsuit and holding a teeny-weeny Chiquito bag.
“Just my lip gloss,” she replied when asked what she had inside.
By the time the last three finale gowns drifted by, in the colors of the French flag and with the wind rippling their long, long trains, it was clear that Simon Porte Jacquemus had orchestrated another dazzling and transporting fashion spectacle to help fuel dreams — and sales of his fall 2023 collection.
This ambitious show, at one of France’s most storied and famous sites, was also meant to start elevating and positioning the Jacquemus brand in a bigger league as the company readies an international rollout of boutiques, strives for legacy status and guns for 500 million euros in revenues by 2025.
The collection will be remembered for its frothy skirts and kooky panniered panties — nods to the excessive fashions of Marie Antoinette and the Court of Versailles — and its voluminous taffeta sleeves, the latter a reference to the late Princess Diana, whose gleaming smile and ’80s fashions were all over the designer’s mood board.
The royal’s polka dots wound up scattered on minidresses, while her bold black-and-white stripes were interpreted as referee polos for the Jacquemus man.
In a scrum with journalists after the show, the designer stressed how important it was to create a memorable silhouette, which is why he only paraded about a third of the see now, buy now collection, focusing on more editorial pieces like the puffball dresses, and his body-baring, lingerie-like slipdresses, which still lack finesse.
The menswear was harder to shoehorn into this mashup of Versailles, Lady Di and ballerina themes. The designer added some tutus and froufrou around waists, giving some flare to boxy suits with full-legged pants. Military bombers came puffed out, with rounded sleeves.
Jacquemus reprised in black the ivory jacket with the scooped-out back that Bad Bunny wore to the Met Gala earlier this year, demonstrating how the French designer nimbly connects red-carpet buzz, and savvy Instagram storytelling, to clever merchandising.
Models ferried the new La Pochette bag with their arms in ballet poses, a nod to the dance performances Marie Antoinette brought to Versailles. There were micro version of other bags strung to lariats and carried like prayer beads.
After the show, waiters in tuxedos emerged from one of the rows of trees flanking the canals, their silver trays holding Champagne coupes, fresh cherries or lifelike edible pink roses, all sugar.
Jacquemus said he tried to do Versailles with his pop sensibility, and in line with his accessible brand positioning, so he stayed outdoors.
“Oh my gosh, does it get more iconic than Versailles? I’m so excited,” said Longoria, who was on a break from promoting “Flamin’ Hot,” her feature-length directorial debut, released on June 9 by Disney+ and Hulu.
“It’s insane, the success of it,” she beamed. “We’re [the] number-one movie in streaming, second weekend in a row. We are the most streamed movie in the history of Searchlight. The success of the movie is really amazing, that it’s been received with the intention in which I made it, which was, you know, representation, this amazing story, and it’s inspiring people. So I’m blown away.”
After a scorching weekend in Paris, she was thankful that temperatures had dropped enough for her to slip into a pantsuit. “I’m in linen and I just love this. Everything about this screams Eva,” she said.
Colombian singer Karol G, rocking pink hair and a siren gown, was finetuning the choreography and details of her upcoming Mañana Será Bonito Tour.
“It’s my first time doing stadiums, so I really am pushing my art. I really want to do my best, like I want to see myself too in a different vibe than the things that I’ve done before,” she said, as a member of her team adjusted the swooping neckline on her dress.
Canadian actor and singer Ahn Hyo-seop, seen recently in the hit South Korean TV series “Business Proposal,” is getting ready for the release of his next project, “A Time Called You,” set to land on Netflix later this year. “It’s about time travel, so I’ll be acting at least three characters in one role,” he said, shielding his face from the sun.
Meanwhile, “13 Reasons Why” star Brandon Flynn has just directed a music video for indie rock band Big Girl’s track “Forever.”
“My actor brain had to shut off and I had to sort of think what would behoove the artist and the vision that would align with the song, and it was really exciting to sort of think in that way,” he said as he took in the waterside location.
“This is my first time experiencing Versailles. It’s a UNESCO spot, which is exciting for me. It’s nice to tick one of those off the list. I’m excited to explore more and see what Jacquemus brings to the spot,” he said.
Was he scared of the water? “No,” he said with a laugh. “I’m a Miami boy. We love water.”
Launch Gallery: Jacquemus Fall 2023
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