Scene setting: What better place to hold an Italian-inspired summer collection than the nation’s embassy in Paris? For his S/S 2019 collection, Simon Porte Jacquemus held a sumptuous open-air show in the gardens of the Ambassade d’Italie, with guests seated on the grass on summery white chairs, facing a glossy elevated catwalk. For the show’s climax the models assembled on the splendid balcony of the building, waving to front rowers below.
Mood board: Simon Porte Jacquemus’ S/S 2019 summer wardrobe ain’t for the faint hearted. You’ll need a lithe limb and a heavy dose of self-confidence to pull off these looks. The designer was considering holiday ensembles for a Jacquemus woman summering on the Italian Riviera. On her packing list? Magenta hot pants and micro baby doll dresses, wool sarongs, tiny bikinis and slashed shirt dresses. Not forgetting strappy stilettos and huge hoop earrings. It was sultry and beachy, exotic and alluring, clothes for making waves on the shores of Cinque Terre or Portofino.
Finishing touches: The huge straw hat from Jacquemus’ A/W 2018 has been an Instagram sensation. Danish model Emma Leth even wore the design to walk down the aisle in June. Social media loves an exaggerated proportion and the micro handbags which Jacquemus has tapped into over the last few seasons nod into this trend. For S/S 2019, he swapped the hat for the holdall. His woman won’t be travelling to the Italian Riviera with a suitcase. Instead she’ll be taking an oversized straw bag, complete with trailing fronds of raffia. §
