Simon Porte Jacquemus arrived in Capri on June 10 with the intention of making an impression. To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of his eponymous brand, the designer chose the setting of Casa Malaparte, a favorite in French cinema, to showcase his Casa collection (fall/winter 24-25). Rich in cinematic references, the collection pays homage to the seventh art under the sun of the Bay of Naples.
The villa's steps, which previously hosted Saint Laurent's spring 2018 collection, serve as the elegant brick-colored launchpad for the show. The guests' bench is shaped like a J...
The brand's classic cream hue is complemented this season by a vibrant red and turquoise blue, in addition to white and black. These are accompanied by touches of yellow, the creator's favorite color, and green. Referencing Jacques Tati's film "Mon Oncle," zebra stripes adorn skirts and imposing coats. The opening piece, a bathrobe, is a reinterpretation of Brigitte Bardot's loungewear in Jean-Luc Godard's "Le Mépris."
Anok Yai, supermodel and friend of Jacquemus, wears this piece. He also relied on the participation of Imaan Hammam and South Korean singer and actress Jenny Kim to carry the show.
Not particularly known for prints, Simon Jacquemus had fun with this collection. A very interesting ornamental and floral cream, yellow, green, and red print spreads across an oversized shirt with mid-length sleeves. Underneath, a hospital-white puffy collar peeks out from the shirt's wide creases.
The Casa collection confirms Jacquemus's sharp sense of tailoring. Short corsets, wavy like a bivalve, fit on pale yellow dresses that follow the body. The structured collars of the coats wrap around the models' necks, their edges jagged like the island's rocks. Trapeze dresses cling to the sides, while scarves straight out of the 1950s wrap around the head.
Beyond this mastery, some pieces raise questions about their place within the collection. A goofy electric blue ensemble, a puffy green jumpsuit, zebra-print pants paired with a horizontally striped tank top... Some outfits seem to stray from Simon Porte Jacquemus' theme of bourgeoisie vacationing in the Mediterranean South.
Finally, Jacquemus's mastery of accessories shines once again. Round or square dyed rope bags and a fold-out leather clutch (Le Rond Carré), doubled-up mules, and the Nodo bracelet... The multitude of accessories in the collection makes it more complex and more successful.
Always in vogue, the brand recently opened its new Parisian headquarters. Simon Porte Jacquemus also revealed the number of company employees to Loïc Prigent: a little over 300. Bright days are ahead for Jacquemus, from Paris to Capri.