(Versailles) French designer Jacquemus took over the park of the Palace of Versailles on Monday to present his collection inspired by Lady Di and Marie-Antoinette, at the water’s edge, in front of celebrities watching the parade in boats.
A long red podium is installed on the grass, at the edge of the canal. As in an impressionist painting, an effect desired by the creator.
An even “more radical” site to tell a new story, explains Simon Porte Jacquemus, originally from Provence, who had already organized his parades in a field of wheat or lavender or under a rain of raffia.
While remaining “very Jacquemus”: we are “in the green, in the landscape and not in the gold”.
Monica Bellucci, Eva Longoria, Adele Exarchopoulos, Laetitia Casta, couple Victoria and David Beckham, and model Tina Kunakey arrive at the site and board to be brought to the “front row”, waterside.
” Which place ! exclaims Monica Bellucci in a brown pantsuit. “Incredible talent, an artist.”
“It’s a dream” offered by the “free, independent and daring” designer, summarizes Laetitia Casta, in a satin white dress.
The model Gigi Hadid, perched on heels, presents a light and transparent outfit, in lace. After the show, she drives around the lake in a buggy, prompting cheers from fashionistas watching the show from behind the barriers.
The blue, white, red dresses, short and transparent on the front and adorned with long trains close the parade. “I love my country and I’m proud of it,” the 30-year-old tells 5.6 million Instagram followers.
As for several seasons, the mixed fashion show takes place outside the official calendar, the day after Men’s Fashion Week.
However, we can see the main trend identified in the latter: the omnipresence of the skin, for both men and women, with cutouts, mini-skirts and transparencies. The collection is practically all white with some black and pink.
It is called Le chouchou in reference to the volumes. Initially it was to be called La culotte, but “it was ugly” for Versailles, the designer laughs.
Openwork tights or white knee-high stockings with a rose accessorize feminine looks, more theatrical than usual, decor requires.
The idea for the collection was to “mix Lady Diana and Marie Antoinette” and make something modern out of “this bizarre pairing”, Jacquemus explains after the show, in front of his inspiration board with photos of Lady Di.
“I was always obsessed with Lady Di and started collecting 90s magazines, Vogue covers,” he says.
A white dress with black polka dots as well as 80s silhouettes of suits and bomber jackets are “nods” to her “favorite modern princess”.
The abundance of tutus evokes Marie-Antoinette’s passion for ballet.
“I wanted something very elegant, ballet-inspired, even for men” who wear tutus with suits or more “casual” looks of sweaters and baggy pants.
There are also workwear elements like sheer fabric pocket vests, worn by the designer himself.
“There is always magic with Simon”, comments to AFP Serge Carreira, lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, specialist in luxury and fashion.
Michel Legrand’s music for the 1970 film Peau d’âne, which accompanies the parade, reinforces the “fantastic and whimsical side”.
“There are dreams and reality too, these are not disconnected clothes,” said Serge Carreira.
Jacquemus began to create the collection without having permission to present it at Versailles. ” It was hard. Not everyone is allowed to do something in Versailles. During the first meeting I was told that this would not be possible. Today, it’s crazy, I have a year of contract,” says Jacquemus, promising “something special” to come.
