For his Spring 2017 collection, Simon Porte Jacquemus sent 32 looks down the runway. Each model donned an oversized straw hat that either sat carefully atop their heads or hung off the back of their necks with the help of a black ribbon. It's been five years since, and with each collection, the hats become more recognisable, raffia being a persistent theme in the Jacquemus DNA. It's no surprise, in this case, that Jacquemus decided to dedicate his Spring 2023 collection to the material. He is, after all, the ultimate romantic.
The Jacquemus Spring 2023 show, titled Le Raphia, took place in Le Bourget, just outside of Paris, France. Amid a gigantic structure of smooth white walls and sheer curtains, a snowstorm of raffia fell from the ceiling (our condolences to anyone with allergies), and the opening look paid homage to some of his earliest work. A ginormous hat sat atop the head of a model clad in a blazer dress with a long train that streamed behind her. The shoulders were exaggerated in Jacquemus' signature way; one of them was pulled off to expose skinny straps and a cinched waist. Then came Vittoria Ceretti, whose ensemble was a twisted jersey micro dress that exposed her derrière as she marched through the straw carrying one of the brand most famous bags: the micro Chiquito.
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What followed was a more contemporary interpretation of Jacquemus' brand and where it is headed. There were baggy jeans washed with metallic silver paint and sheer ensembles with flower appliqués. Elsewhere, his rolled technique was present, alongside rope-like ties that hung off cropped tops and dresses and were knotted around the waist. The collection was arguably one of the most colourful to date – a theme he has been playing with more in recent years – with the introduction of new prints which were worn alongside micro ruched mini skirts and gigantic yellow furry tote bags that matched strappy sandals sporting the same neon shearling.
Other notable accessories moments included oversized raffia sunflower earrings and hay-like hats that gave the illusion of becoming raffia, as did a big bird-esque coat and crop tops that shimmied as models walked. There were polka dot pedal pushers paired with colossal white collars that felt very reminiscent of his early days, and an emphasis on denim to bring things back to earth.
There was lurex-like knitwear and artisanal beading layered over casual T-shirts showing off what Jacquemus continues to do best: walking the finest line between excess and access in an astonishingly effortless way. Just where things begin to feel too much, he pulls back, cinches in, strips off, and dresses down. This is the enduring magic of the brand. The offered glamour never feels overwhelming or unattainable, you could wear one runway look to the club and the other to the beach – or probably the same thing if you had the right accessories (which Simon will ensure you do).
His show notes sum it all up quite perfectly: “It’s the end of the summer. All these colors, all the dreams that I saw, that I had, go away. The smell, the beauty, The Raphia rain sweeps everything away as in a dream…Will I see again those big hats, those flower buckles, those prints? I think so”.
Watch the Jacquemus Spring 2023 show, below.
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