Named “Le Raphia”, the JACQUEMUS collection took place in a large hangar at Le Bourget airport, just outside Paris.
Simon Porte Jacquemus returned to Paris to showcase a Spring 2023 runway show titled “Le Raphia”. It was a splendour of his trademark playful sunshine looks, only this time it was raining raffia.
Models, including Irina Shayk and Vittoria Ceretti, strutted through the raffia rain with a variety of raffia accessories, including flower-shaped earrings, handbags and hats in sunny yellow and apricot orange, as VIPS like Jennie from Blackpink, Vincent Cassel and Tina Kunakey, seen from the front row.
The designer always uses his own history to tell personal stories through collections. This time, he chose to show the story of his brand.
“I didn’t want to tell another story about me. We wanted to reference our own story as a Maison would.”
Ever the pragmatist, Jacquemus has always used the power of media and social media to create the necessary buzz around his collections. With its “see now, buy now” strategy that makes runway collections immediately available for purchase from five seasons, turning them into direct sales, it makes it a success.
“The idea of something so summery, and almost making fun of ourselves with the oversized hats,” the designer said backstage, explaining that a raffia technique developed with embroidery house Lesage became the main leitmotif and an ironic way to evoke fur. “We wanted something super elegant.”
This collection moved away from its powdery blues and pastels to a more cheerful beige, yellow and red. There were crazy fringed raffia hats, straw poufs decorating tailoring with triangular shoulders and a full shaggy coat that was a collaboration with Lesage, the French couture embroidery house.
While the womenswear was playful drama, however, the menswear kept the playful style but remained more gender fluid. In fact, the dry material made for an unusual fur stole and a chunky but frothy chubby, and added a scarecrow flourish to men’s jackets. Polka-dotted capri pants were also something new on the Jacquemus runway: a nod to the way women dressed in Portofino and Capri, with a small straw bag dangling in the crook of their arm.
Crafted with archival techniques, textures and dimensional shapes were fused with natural materials that exuded a delicate, handcrafted palette. Within the house’s transporting mise-en-scène, the beach was found through the draped body: bikinis along with day-to-night dresses, and men’s tank tops were embellished with embroidered accents. Denim treatments introduced a youthful counterpoint, where vibrant ensembles and silver jeans took a cue from the early 2000s.
The fact that this show took place on one of the coldest days of the year in one of the coldest places is one thing, but Jacquemus’ ability to transport guests to his vision of warmer times is something else entirely.
Chosen by Simone, the fashion show took place at Le Bourget airport, setting up a large circular decor lined with cream carpeting.
The event was attended by an entourage of celebrities and influencers, including Blackpink singer Jennie, actors Pamela Anderson, Vincent Cassel, Sophie Marceau and reality TV personality Christine Quinn. Elite actors, such as Manu Rios and Aaron Piper, and renowned fashion designers Amina Muaddi, Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Daniel Roseberry, also sat in the front row.
See Jacquemus’ “Le Raphia” collection below.
