A SUN-SOAKED Marseille beach supplied a stretch of sand to be used as a runway for the first ever Jacquemus menswear show. French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus eschewed the heat of the city at the close of Paris Fashion Week Men’s and transported his collection to the South of France, a location he cited as a key inspiration for the SS19 designs. This Riviera influence was evident in the clothes, with an ocean-inspired palette of washed blues lifted by sunnier splashes of buttercup yellow and a sunflower print shirt.
Silhouettes had a languorous elegance, with effortless tailoring and crisp white shirts interspersed between loose drawstring pyjama trousers and oversized patterned sweaters. There was a light-hearted sense of humour to the styling and its play between juxtapositions. Shirts and ties were worn with board shorts and a bucket hat, while mustard and orange chunky knits were paired with tiny speedo-style swimming trunks.
Despite the notes of formality, beachwear was the collection’s watchword. Models walked barefoot on the white sand, with small leather purses slung around their necks and frayed straw hats tucked under their arms. Some looked as if they had just emerged from a dip in the water – bare torsos, unkempt hair and all—while others had the feel of an office worker loosening his tie for a day by the shore.
With every detail of the collection concentrated on realising a cohesive vision, this was a typically narrative driven show from a designer who has described his womenswear collections as “biographies”. From the coastal scenery to the laid-back apparel, Jacquemus’ debut menswear show sang of summer.
by Rachel Parker