Jacquemus: fashion through a child’s eyes
Author: Angela Zanon
Through the eyes of a child Jacquemus changes the way of interpreting and communicating the style.
Talking about originality in fashion is often a risky step since there is no real policy to establish this concept and it is especially difficult to attribute it with certainty to a particular fashion item, trend or fashion designer; actually be defined original isn’t that important, because when something is able to attract attention, for sure it does not go unnoticed.
The latest 2016 advertising campaign launched by Jacquemus is a perfect example.
The creator is 25 years old, Simon Porte Jacquemus, self-taught and owner of the eponymous brand, which in recent years has coined a unique and personal style that brought him also to present its collections during Paris fashion week.
To realize his last campaign, instead of hiring of professional models, the designer chose a different kind of subject, the children; and the young protagonists of the shots are nothing more than Jacquemus’ staff, himself included, when they still had no more than ten years.
The designer has expressly wanted to engage his colleagues and friends, like the DJ Clara 3000, who takes care of the musical background of his shows, and Philippine Chaumont, model, as well as designer. Though this may sound unusual, it is quite absurd to see that items of the collection do not even appear in the shots.
In the interview for Vogue in January, Jacquemus justified his unusual choice by stating:
I prefer not to communicate fashion, but using somewhat more philosophy. Here at Jacquemus we are children.
This means that advertising reflects the attitude of Jacquemus with regard to its work and in particular to the realization of the items which, as he says, “tell a story”. So much so that even the image of the woman, through the clothes of Jacquemus, takes on a new twist compared to the canons or worse stereotypes of the fashion world, since his carefree nature is valued, free and playful, as if seen through the eyes of a child, who better than anyone knows how to seize the most authentic and pure beauty.
This same vision is also present in the eyes of the designer:
The way I see the woman is with my kid’s eyes, a childlike woman. What’s most important about a kid’s eyes is that they see the world with naïveté, the beauty everywhere.
The world of children is an integral part of the creative vision of Jacquemus, thanks to liberal education received by his family, which has always allowed him to express his creativity, with no restrictions. This has influenced the designer for the duration of his training, and especially provided him with the basics to set the line of his brand since its inception in 2009, when he was only 19 years old.
Also important was the influence of Japanese brand Comme De Garçon, for which Jacquemus has worked for two years in Paris before beginning his individual path, which he calls an inspiration:
Working there for two years has made me stronger, because it helped me figure out what I really wanted. There is a degree of radicalness in Rei Kawakubo, the founder of the brand. It is not humor as much as lightness.
Returning then to consider his recently campaign it is clear that it is not intended to promote the collection, and then the product itself, but rather focuses on the true spirit of the brand, giving thus to the public the concept that inspired the artistic sensibility of Jacquemus and consequently gave rise to his entire project.
Original or not, certainly there is nothing more authentic and creative than capturing the essence of your own style. The campaign sends a simple message, genuine, realistic, capable of hitting and engage people, tired of the ideal of perfect beauty shared by most advertising which is just a cold and distant version of real life.
As Jacquemus expressed:
This is really important, because it is a new message. […] It’s instinctive, because I think people no longer wish to see only beauty in a beautiful place. Is not in line with what we live in today.
The result is compelling, engaging and dynamic, as well as entirely new. Merit of one young man, who was able to bring out the values of dedication and hard work and it shows once again how the experience is not the only available card in the world of fashion and work in general.
