In very Jacquemus fashion, the house staged a surprise off-calendar show from Hawaii’s island of Oahu in celebration of its “Le Splash” spring 2022 collection.
With the collection available the moment the show streamed, it represents a somewhat unconventional shift in thinking of how to approach the fashion calendar – and it felt like just the bright burst of spring that we needed.
“The islands of Hawaii, with their awe-inspiring landscapes, diverse climates, and untold biodiversity, stood out as the perfect complement to the exuberant ‘Le Splash’ collection,” said Simon Porte Jacquemus, Jacquemus creative director.
The designer brought his signature playfully subversive, pop sensibility to a range of sunny, location- appropriate pieces: relaxed linen suiting, boardshorts, scuba-gear-inspired details, and of course swimwear. Playing as always with extreme combinations of volume and especially cut, he married oversized blazers with tiny bikinis, crop tops with hybrid baggy cargo pants.
The designer’s signature penchant for cutouts and lots of straps was on display as well, thoughtfully deployed through the theme of utilitarian playfulness – a sense of sunshiny optimism that was of course augmented by the color scheme of aqua, lime, bright pink, and mango.
Remixed versions of island apparel codes included snorkel mouthpieces that functioned as handbag handles, oversized gathering bags that functioned as tops, and bags in disguise as pool floaties.
The entire production crew and cast was composed of Hawaiian locals. Thoughtfully responding to the very real critique that a European fashion brand staging a show in Hawaii seems somewhat colonialist, the show took important steps to honor the culture of land they were on and its people and include them as a focal point of the show. Without these steps, the collection might have felt hollow, cheap, and appropriative.
Instead, it felt like a genuine celebration of community and of sunshine, things that everyone loves and in doing so is brought together – something we need now more than ever.