Simon Porte Jacquemus: Success story of a young designer

Simon Porte Jacquemus - just 34 years old - is the founder of the luxury label. His fresh, young designs hit the nerve of the times and are praised by critics all over the world. Growing up in the small town of Salon-de-Provence in the south of France, he founded his label in 2009 at the age of 19.

The label name Jacquemus is his mother's maiden name and a dedication to her. A year earlier she died in a car accident. When he founded the company, he immediately adopted the last name. He quickly became better known in the fashion scene and in 2012 became the youngest designer to ever present his fashion at Paris Fashion Week . In 2015 he received the LVMH Prize.

In order to finance his label, the young designer worked in retail at Comme des Garcons in Paris for two years during the founding phase. There he met designer Rei Kawakubo , who later became an important mentor and supporter for him. His minimalist designs arose out of necessity. Because at the beginning Jacquemus had little money available for his creations.

Jacquesmus' grandiose marketing strategies

Jacquemus' first collection was mainly made of wool and was rather minimalist. To get his label noticed, he resorted to sensational marketing methods . A group of girlfriends dressed in wool sweaters and miniskirts made from his designs stormed Vogue's Fashion Night Out party on Paris' Avenue Montaigne. During the staged protest, they held up cardboard signs with the slogan “We want Jacquemus!” This meant that the aspiring designer made it onto television.

But Jacquemus also knows how social media works. With now 6.2 million followers, he implements targeted storytelling marketing perfectly. In 2017 he caused a stir with an oversized straw hat. The “Le Grand Chapeau Bomba” hat hit the press all over the world and even led fast fashion brands to recreate the giant hat.

A miniature bag sparked the next hype shortly afterwards. "Le Petit Chiquito" measures just 8.5 x 5 cm and became an absolute bestseller. Stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna treated themselves to the tiny bag at a price of € 400. Jacquemus said about the design that he liked the contrast between the huge hat and the wanted to create a mini bag.

A pioneer of fashion

Jacquemus is not afraid to take the first step. In 2019, he decided to slow down sales cycles by presenting the women's and men's collections together in winter and summer. This saves resources, fabrics can be used for both collections and the effort for additional shows is eliminated. Due to the pandemic, many other luxury labels followed suit a year later.

The young designer recognizes trends and turns his label Jacquemus into an approachable luxury brand. Its minimalist, fresh designs and seductive silhouettes appeal primarily to young fashion enthusiasts. Jacquemus has talent, a strong social media presence and a nose for trends. And that's exactly what today's fashion world needs.