Over the past few days, Jacquemus has been teasing its SS26 show via a spate of Instagram stories depicting a nude marble statue. And the teases tracked: today’s runway show was hosted in the Chateau at the Palace in Versailles, one of France’s most historically significant (and decadent) sites. So it was somewhat ironic that the show‘s title was Le Paysan, which loosely translates to “the peasant”: the collection an ode to agricultural workers in the early 19th century.
Models walked the runway in medieval style pantaloon-capri hybrids, wrap-around-tunic shirts, and workers’ caps that seemed to take inspiration from the fez. One model even walked the runway with a sprig of what looked like thyme or rosemary tucked into his jacket. It felt like the design team looked well outside Paris’s sartorial influence for reference: the draping called to mind Ancient Greece, while satin jacket cuts felt West Africa inspired.
Although it was a menswear show, Creative Director Simon Jacquemus also took the opportunity to showcase his womenswear offerings (on none other than Alex Consani) via expertly draped elegant white dresses, oversized full-length frocks in white and butter yellow, and a carefully constructed crotchet dress.
Tbf, the palatial surroundings brought the agricultural-inspired collection into sharp relief: what would have been the clothes of the every man were rendered couture-like by dint of the fabric quality, Simon’s craftsmanship, and Versailles’ hallowed halls.
In other words, the show may have been titled peasant, but it was giving opulence fr.
Featured image via Getty Images©
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