Jacquemus Proved He Was the King of Runway

Since 2009, French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus has championed a creative strategy that revolves around crafting viral moments. He has mastered the art of staging picture-perfect, cinematic shows to unveil the latest collections of his eponymous label, imbued with personal nostalgia, drawing inspiration from childhood memories, cherished holidays, and the enduring influence of his mother. These memories come to life through collections presented in some of the world’s most scenic locations, if not some of the most captivating set designs and concepts. After Jacquemus’ 15th anniversary and to celebrate the brand’s Paris return we delve into Simon Porte’s extraordinary legacy of runway presentations with 12 of its most iconic fashion shows underscoring a deep-rooted belief in the significance of the catwalk as a core component of the brand’s narrative.

An obvious choice for any list of Jacquemus’ best shows is one that made him a household name. In a celebration of the brand’s 10th anniversary, the designer staged his Le Coup de Soleil show amongst brilliant lavender fields in full bloom. Against this picturesque backdrop, not far from the designer’s Provencal hometown, models walked down a hot pink runway, creating one of the most visually captivating spectacles of the season. It instantly cemented Simon Porte Jacquemus as one of the most Instagrammable designers of his time.

A year later, Jacquemus invited a socially-distant audience to witness a 2,000-foot wooden plank runway snaking through the golden fields the French Vexin Regional Natural Park, northwest of Paris. The romantic setting complemented the collection’s spirit of love despite physical distance, embracing a soothing palette of soft whites, sandy beiges, and warm yellows, in keeping with the runway presentation’s bucolic surroundings.

In 2022, the designer continued his trend of serving fashion “plein air” by bringing a surprise runway to Hawaii. Models walked a cobalt runway along the water’s edge on the crystalline shore of Moli’i Gardens beach in Oahu, showcasing Jacquemus’ Spring/Summer collection, which featured textiles adapted from pool ready materials, including lifejackets spun into puffer vests and sorrels into leather.

Jacquemus wanted a minimalist spirit, raw, poetic, and lunar, for his Fall/Winter fashion show entitled Le Papier. Staged upon the picturesque salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes in southern France, the runway itself was a mountain of Giraud salt, where models in fluid silhouettes and paper-inspired fabrics walked, dressed in white-toned designs.

Le Nez Rouge may be one the designer’s less spotlighted presentations, but it stands out as one of the most poignant. Held in a large warehouse in a Paris district known for its slaughterhouses, the show served as a reflection of the tragic summer following his mother’s passing. Central to the presentation was a striking scene where a colossal red ball of fabric was pushed across a stark concrete floor by a barefoot child before the designer himself made a cameo, evoking an adult version of the boy, leading a white horse across the stage.