He is 29, he is incredibly beautiful and charming, and the whole world knows about him. He has no special education, but being just a 19-year-old teenager, Simon Porte Jacquemus decided to launch his brand. And today, Simon is included in the top 500 of the most influential people in the fashion world.
And now let’s talk in more detail about Jacquemus, because there are plenty of interesting things to say about this brand.
Who is Simon Porte Jacquemus?
Simon was born on January 16, 1990, in a small French village of Mallmore near Marseille. His parents were farmers, and on weekends, Simon with his grandparents sold fruits and vegetables.
The boy has been in love with fashion from early childhood after he first saw the runway show of Jean-Paul Gaultier. At 8 years old, he made a skirt from a lace curtain for his mother, and not only did she wear it, but she proudly told everyone that it was designed by her son.
Simon’s family was far from the fashion world; his mother has never worn expensive clothes and knew nothing about the designers, but she had a rich imagination and loved to do everything with her own hands. Simon’s father was part of the music band and dressed up a lot for his rehearsals. But being a farmer does not mean you are far from the fashion world. That is why Jacquemus is confident that fashion is inclusive and available for everyone.
After graduating from school, 18-year-old Simon Porte Jacquemus entered ESMOD – the higher school of arts and fashion technologies in Paris.
A month later, his mother died in a car accident. Simon realized that life could stop at any moment, and he should not waste time. He decided to do what he had wanted to do since childhood. After only two months, he dropped out of school and created his first clothing collection.
So in 2009, the Jacquemus brand, named after his mother, was created.
The First Collections of Jacquemus
Father taught Simon to be simple. Therefore, minimalism is the basis of all his collections. But at first, minimalism was not a concept but rather a forced necessity: details and difficult cuts demanded money that wasn’t in Simon’s disposition.
The first collection saw the light of the day with the help of a random seamstress, who he met in the curtains store. Simon asked her to sew a skirt and paid 100 euros for her work. Now he admits that he was too naive and trusting back then, but the same qualities attract his fans and buyers.
Without having money, Simon used all the opportunities available to him in order to move forward. He photographed his friends to create his lookbooks. He wrote emails to the staff of fashion magazines inviting them to take a look at his collection. He dressed his friends in clothes and had fashion shows in unexpected places. And it worked. He was remembered.
And even though his first and the second collections were good, but far from a professional level. But the third collection (2011), made entirely of wool, was very successful. It was noticed by reputable Rei Kawakubo.
Acquaintance with Rei and her husband Adrian Joffe changed Simon Jacquemus’s life. First, because his talent was finally noticed, and it was highly inspirational for the designer. Secondly, Simon got the job of the seller in the store Comme Des Garçons, and due to this fact, he had the money for his brand. Simon worked at the store almost without days off for two years and crested parts of his collection at nights when he had free time.
Yoffe purchased Jacquemus clothes for her Dover Street Market store in London, where they were sold successfully. It was the first breakthrough for a young brand.
Recognition, Awards and New Jacquemus Collections
In 2012, Jacquemus became one of the youngest designers who participated in the Paris Fashion Week.
In 2014 and 2015, Simon received a special prize in a prestigious contest for young designers – LVMH Prize.
May 2015 – Jacquemus has opened his online store. According to Simon, his store looks rather like a magazine, and it distinguishes it from numerous electronic trading platforms.
June 2015 – The brand launches the line of accessories into which bags and shoes entered. Their form resembles geometric shapes – a circle and square. And it is very in the spirit of Jacquemus.
Brand Concept and Philosophy
According to the designer, the entire brand Jacqueemus is based on memories. The foundation of all collections is endless love for France. And the main source of inspiration is the style of his mom and grandmother. Often Jacquemus draws ideas in the cinema and, of course, in France – its history, culture, and difference of regions.
Simon is fond of photography from 14 years old, and social networks have become a continuation of this hobby. Jacquemus does not imagine the existence of the fashion industry and his company without the Internet. He used a network to promote his brand, met photographers and models that were filmed in his campaigns on Facebook, made friends with the help of Internet exchanges with his current boyfriend – Gordon von Steiner.
