Simon Porte Jacquemus’ spring collection was titled La Riviera, but Sex on the Beach would’ve done, too. His sun-drenched childhood memories from the south of France often color his collections, and what an imagination he had as a kid. “I see myself back then, when I was little, I was already trying to visualize her,” his show notes explained. “It’s a bit cliché, I know, but she was going to the casino on the seashore, she was dancing and drinking cocktails.”
A classy gal? Not necessarily. But definitely up for a good time. Porte Jacquemus pursued the same super-French brand of beachside come-hither style that he’s been on for the past few seasons. His sweet spot has been at the intersection of sophisticated and hedonistic, but for spring he tipped the balance in the favor of the latter. The collection was for women who are captivatingly secure in their tackiness.
Held in the garden of the Italian embassy in Paris — because there’s an Italian Riviera, too — the show featured a runway raised to eye level. The front row got a good look at more than the clothes as the models walked by in stilettos that laced up their ankles, carrying bags that were extra large or hilariously small.
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Hemlines barely cleared the girls’ cheeks on dresses that looked like scarves casually draped around the hips and neck. Nipples and more were visible beneath sheer, body-skimming, one-shouldered gowns in orange and mint green. Boobs swished along with the filmy silk that struggled to cover them up with the help of teensy spaghetti straps. Not everything was a brisk breeze away from bearing all, however. There were shapely trenches and updates on Porte Jacquemus’ signature shirts, including a cool, striped shirtdress with a bandeau tied over the bust.
Breaking it down, the majority of the pieces in the collection weren’t all that complex or new. Pareo dresses and bikinis are as old as the dunes they wafted in from. But Porte Jacquemus has a vision, one he’s apparently been cultivating since he was a child. He anchored his yacht girls and casino kittens with a sense of humor and attitude so they weren’t left blowing in the wind.