Jacquemus
Part One
Simon Porte Jacquemus is the founder and creative director of the namesake label, Jacquemus. The designer is originally from Provence, France and moved to Paris when he was 18 years old. He enrolled at the École Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode but never ended up finishing his education. He launched his brand in 2009 at the age of 19, and named it after his late mother’s maiden name (BOF Biographies). Jacquemus simultaneously worked under Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe of Comme des Garçons in hopes to support his brand (Bjork, BOF). He made a name for himself as a self-taught designer known for pushing boundaries and turning heads. Jacquemus took the fashion industry by storm in 2012 when he was named one of the youngest designers to show at Paris Fashion Week (Bjork, BOF).
Business of Fashion describes the womenswear brand as having a “child-like spirit and sense of freedom, often featuring asymmetrical designs, oversized ‘stiff’ silhouettes, experimental makeup and shoeless or topless models.” The designer gains inspiration for his collections from his past mentors, his mother and grandmother, and his home in the South of France. “His playful approach to pushing the boundaries of French fashion has earned him a finalist spot and a special prize at the LVMH Prize in 2014 and 2015 respectively” (BOF Biographies). The designer has been listed on Forbes 30 under 30 list and the BOF 500 list. Porte Jacquemus currently has major momentum within the industry. The brand has recently expanded to include handbags, footwear, and menswear, and announced plans for a unisex collection.
The designer’s headquarters and new studio location is on Rue de Monceau in Paris, France (Petrarca, The Cut). JACQUEMUS SASU is an independent, “simplified joint stock company with sole shareholder duly organized and existing under the laws of France” (Jacquemus). Simon Porte Jacquemus is listed as the sole principal of the company and has around 60 employees working alongside him (DNB). The brand has a share capital of 76,000 euros, and was projected to make between 23 million and 25 million euros in 2019 (Jacquemus and Diderich, WWD). Porte Jacquemus once said, “My strategy, to be clear, is to have a strong brand with a strong image, and a contemporary price point…But I don’t want to be next to the contemporary brands’” (Bjork, BOF).
Jacquemus has a slightly younger target market within luxury. The target customer is a millennial ranging from 24 to 35 years old. She is located in urban cities like Paris, London, New York, and Los Angeles as well as the slow-paced countryside. She is a free-spirit, a world-traveler, and a “child of the digital age” (Bjork, BOF). She is feminine, playful, adventurous, and easy-going. Porte Jacquemus describes her as “the girl who can see the modern poetry in a white T-shirt” (Hunt, Elle). She is a creative, freelancer, editor, or student with disposable income. She is unapologetically herself, and is not afraid to make a fashion statement (Bjork, BOF). The target customer is an effortlessly chic French girl who will invest in designer fashions to add to her growing closet.
Collections consist of avant-garde designs and playful deconstruction, which he describes in his own words as “naivety” (Bjork, BOF). The momentum and demand that he has created for the brand is largely due to his social media presence. Porte Jacquemus runs the brand’s Instagram account himself, where he playfully features product and collections alongside personal photographs and images of the sunny, French seaside (BOF Biographies). This intimate and carefree communication and PR strategy helps paint a picture of Jacquemus’ target customer segment: ‘The New Kind of French Girl’ (Hunt, Elle).
Competitor Analysis
Comme des Garçons
Comme Des Garçons is a Japanese fashion label offering women’s and men’s ready-to-wear. Known for its artistic deconstruction and abstract interpretations, Comme Des Garçons thinks outside of the box and disrupts fashion standards. The designer has also extended the brand to include CDG Homme Plus, Play, and Girl that are more affordable and accessible, and cater to a younger audience similar to Jacquemus.
Jonathan Simkhai
Jonathan Simkhai creates “luxury read-to-wear for the modern woman,” emphasizing “feminine strength and sensuality” (Jonathan Simkhai). His goal as a designer is to reinvent the American wardrobe with his inspiration from architecture, technology, and artisanship. This brand creates womenswear for the every day.
Cecilie Bahnsen
Vogue describes danish-designer Cecilie Bahnsen’s work as “bold, playful, sculptural, and full of fantasy” (Vogue Runway). Bahnsen marries couture and ready-to-wear with her feminine and voluminous designs, and is a standout during Copenhagen Fashion Week. This brand dresses the light-hearted and youthful individual, and does not shy away from distinct textures or bright colors.
Inspiration, Images, & Information from…
Arnett, George. “Data Analysis Shows Jacquemus as Fashion's Top Breakout Brand.” Vogue
Business, 15 Apr. 2020, www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/data-analysis-breakout-brands-jacquemus-marine-serre-bode.
Bjork, Daniel. “Jacquemus: Bigger Than You Think.” The Business of Fashion, The Business of
Fashion, 27 Sept. 2016, www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/jacquemus-bigger-than-you-think.
BOF Biographies. “Rei Kawakubo.” The Business of Fashion - Biographies, 14 Aug. 2019, www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/rei-kawakubo.
BOF Biographies. “Simon Porte Jacquemus.” The Business of Fashion - Biographies, 8 Aug.2019, www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/simon-porte-jacquemus. “Cecilie Bahnsen – Official Website & Online Store.”
Cecilie Bahnsen, ceciliebahnsen.com/.
Diderich, Joelle. “EXCLUSIVE: Jacquemus to Mark 10th Anniversary With Coed Show in Provence.” Women's Wear Daily, WWD, 20 May 2019, wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion- features/jacquemus-marks-tenth-anniversary-with-coed-show-in-provence-rihanna-kylie- jenner-1203133672/.
Diderich, Joelle. “Jacquemus Plays by His Own Rules.” Women's Wear Daily, WWD, 10 Nov. 2017, wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/simon-porte-jacquemus-pierre-cardin- kendall-jenner-rihanna-11041269/.
Hunt, Kenya. “How Simon Porte Jacquemus Became Fashion's Breakout Hit Of SS17.” ELLE, ELLE, 21 Mar. 2018, www.elle.com/uk/fashion/longform/a32882/simon-porte- jacquemus/.
“JACQUEMUS Company Profile.” Dun & Bradstreet, www.dnb.com/business- directory/company-profiles.jacquemus.bec1a0ce54497aba1952ae9edc273532.html.
“Jacquemus.” Instagram, www.instagram.com/jacquemus.
“Jacquemus News, Collections, Fashion Shows, Fashion Week Reviews, and More.”
Vogue Runway, www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/designer/jacquemus.
JACQUEMUS, www.jacquemus.com.
“Jonathan Simkhai: Official Online Store.” Jonathan Simkhai, jonathansimkhai.com/. Khayyer, Jina. “Home Alone with Jacquemus.” SSENSE, 1 Mar. 2017, www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/fashion/home-alone-with-jacquemus.
Petrarca, Emilia. “Simon Porte Jacquemus Isn't Just the Man Behind Your Tiny Bag.” The Cut, 22 Aug. 2019, www.thecut.com/2019/08/simon-porte-jacquemus-designer-profile.html.
“Simon Porte Jacquemus.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, www.forbes.com/profile/simon-porte-jacquemus/.
