Over the past few years, Jacquemus has become synonymous with French fashion. After showing his collections across France from Paris to the lavender fields of Provence and the wheat fields in Val d’Oise, founder and creative director, Simon Porte Jacquemus has decided to bring his French savoir faire to the Pacific. On March 9, over 7,000 miles away from his Parisian headquarters, Jacquemus’ Spring 2022 collection took on a new surrounding on the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii.
The show itself was quintessential Jacquemus by merging land, art and fashion in one while paying tribute to the locals of Hawaii. Not only did the extensive colorful collection, appropriately titled Le Spash, pay homage to the Pacific island through craftsmanship and the brand’s fantasy DNA, Porte Jacquemus also enlisted an entire team of Hawaiian creatives from the production staff and stylists to the models that walked the runway (some of which was their first time on a catwalk).
“The islands of Hawai’i, with their awe-inspiring landscapes, diverse climates, and untold biodiversity, stood out as the perfect complement to the exuberant Le Splash collection.” Porte Jacquemus revealed in an Instagram caption announcing the show’s location. “This show takes inspiration from Jacquemus’ 2021 campaign shot by Tom Kneller on O’ahu, and for Simon, who has long wished to visit the islands, it marks the culmination of both a personal and professional dream,” the caption continued.
Despite being far away and occurring days after fashion month came to a close in Paris, the label’s A-list cult following including SZA, Jhené Aiko, Bretman Rock, Victor Cruz and Blackpink’s Jennie made their way to Oahu to experience the collection IRL in the front row. Now that the 32-year-old designer has proven he can execute a destination show, I’m sure we’ll see him touching down in more places across the world, advancing his ethos in escapism and fantasy.
