Simon Porte Jacquemus unveiled his spring/summer 2021 "L'amour" show on July 16 in the middle of a rolling wheat field about 90 minutes from Paris, a commune in the Val-D'Oise region of France. As you might recall, his spring/summer 2020 runway was held in a romantic lavender field last year, albeit before the spread of COVID-19. For this season, Jacquemus wanted to ensure that safety measures were taken to protect his handful of guests (reportedly about 100) and models from the virus, although it does appear there were moments when the models were close to one another, during the finale, for example.
"Despite the crisis we continue to exist, to survive, to celebrate."
"From backstage fittings to the runway, we have been faultless when it comes to safety standards," Jacquemus told Vogue France. "It was important to have a show because it's at the heart of our brand; our strategy revolves around the moment," he said, clearly addressing the fact that he was the sole designer who wished not to go digital with his presentation this season. The audience seats were placed a meter apart and everyone received a Jacquemus branded canvas mask, hand gel, and water.
The collection - a sexy-chic whirlwind of neutral pieces in linen, silk, and other lightweight fabrics - was brilliant and beautiful as always. There were plenty of little white dresses for brides who decide to go the City Hall route in the future, and lots of deconstructed '90s slips and low-slung skirts. Ethereal prints and patterns in earth tones brought the designer's intent full circle. Tassels shook down the length of a pencil midi skirt, LBD, and button-down blouse - and we have a feeling those, along with the metal, sometimes mis-matched statement earrings, will become the most recognizable pieces from this offering. "We must remain positive; we've been a sunny brand from the start and we continue to be so, despite the crisis we continue to exist, to survive, to celebrate," Jacquemus said.
This social distanced "party in the middle of nowhere" did somehow feel intimate, even though guests were seated far away, and we wonder if that will be the sentiment other designers look to echo as the fashion world changes. We do hope if there's one thing other designers take away from Jacquemus's showing, it's his diverse cast of models. We may not all be ready to meet at a runway show in real life, but we are beyond ready to see necessary representation across the board. Scroll down for some short video snippets posted to Instagram, then check out the spring/summer looks one by one.
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