Jacquemus: Crafting a new narrative in luxury fashion

In the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of luxury fashion; Jacquemus has emerged as a beacon of innovative design and branding. Founded relatively recently by Simon Porte Jacquemus in 2009; the brand has quickly gained a strong image luxury fashion world. With their minimalistic approach and seductive silhouettes; Jacquemus has undoubtedly captured the attention of fashion aficionados and industry insiders alike. From unconventional fashion shows, to striking visual imagery; Jacquemus has established itself as a trailblazer in the industry; challenging traditional norms and inspiring a new generation of designers.

Jacquemus, however, has not only made their mark in the fashion space but has also seen to be at the forefront of the marketing, where their brand identity and visual representation are truly what sets them apart from other fashion houses. Combining simple, minimal class with playful, bold ideas, Jacquemus extends beyond just fashion, evoking emotion through every aspect of the brand. Thus, as the brand continues to push boundaries and redefine the concept of luxury, it’s worth examining how Jacquemus has crafted a new narrative in the world of high fashion and digital marketing.

SURRALISM IN MARKETING?

Evidently, Jacquemus has adopted a new and innovative approach to advertising; using surrealism to set a new trend in the marketing world. As an art movement, surrealism aims to capture the realm of the unconscious mind and dreams, “exploring the irrational aspects of the human experience”. Moving away from this, surrealism has now found a place amongst the digital marketing space as we see brands like Jacquemus adopt its artistic values to produce captivating, emotional, and unforgettable experiences for their audiences.

Jacquemus stands as a testament to the power of surrealism in marketing. It allows us to break free from traditional marketing norms and establish strong emotional connections with our audience.

Simon Porte Jacquemus

Photos from @Jacquemus via Instagram

A big part of their surrealist campaigns involves AI-generated and digitally developed videos of pieces from their brand enlarged and displayed in creative, interesting, and imaginative ways. We’ve seen their iconic ‘Banbino’ bags hung from trees, driving around Paris, and even inflated into a large installation floating on the shores in France. While these illusions may have stopped on social media, the publicity they generated, and the subsequent translations to sales, proved their success.

Looking at their most recent campaign showcasing the new collection titled “Les Sculptures”, we see that while it still incorporates surrealist techniques, Jacquemus has chosen to take a more subtle approach.

LES SCULPTURES

In January 2024, Jacquemus launched their new spring-summer 2024 collection, titled “Les Sculptures.” Being launched on January 29, 2024, at the Maeght Foundation in Paris, the runway featured cinched waists, croc-embossed jackets, and strappy footwear. Of course, the collection additionally highlights Jacquemus’ signature color palettes of bright and playful yellows with beige hues offset by strong reds and black tones. Having been cut, designed, and draped in the most intricate and delicate yet structural manner, the collection evidently aims to pay homage to art and specifically art through sculptural mastery.

As always, Jacquemus extended his artistry, producing an equally-as-exquisite campaign where we see the brand make use of surrealist techniques to produce a memorable marketing narrative. Photographed across the beautiful landscapes in St. Paul De Vence, the campaign features none other than ‘Bad Bunny’ as the face for the collection. Aside from using captivating silhouettes and bold colors, the camping makes use of the surrealist technique of juxtaposition. Having sculptural pieces amongst such a natural setting creates this fascinating scene that unconsciously mesmerises its audience. Regardless of its recent release, the campaign has already captivated audiences and garnered widespread attention in the marketing world. It’s a perfect example of how Jacquemus is able to adopt a different approach to storytelling using surrealist techniques to leverage its unique identity and aesthetic to produce a powerful and influential marketing narrative.

Naturally, the shoot becomes more than just a campaign for the new collection but rather an extension of the message and artistic direction, essentially promoting the idea of ‘fashion as art and art as fashion’. Simply looking through their Instagram page, you see that Jacquemus doesn’t just promote products; they share authentic narratives, creating an art gallery of inspirations across the platform.

Photos from @Jacquemus via Instagram

I believe that Jacquemus’ brand strategy is one that everyone should learn from. Their ability to intertwine artistic storytelling and unconventional aesthetics seamlessly throughout their brand sets a new standard across the fashion industry.