(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, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Laetitia Casta, the couple Victoria and David Beckham and model Tina Kunakey arrive at the site and board to be brought to the “front row”, on the water side.
” A dream “
PHOTO JULIEN DE ROSA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Adèle Exarchopoulos (left) with model Tina Kunakey
” Which place ! exclaims Monica Bellucci in a brown pantsuit. “An 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 parade, she drives around the lake at the wheel of a cart, causing cheers from fashionistas who observe the parade 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,” said the 30-year-old to 5.6 million subscribers on Instagram.
As for several seasons, the mixed fashion show takes place outside the official calendar, the day after Men’s Fashion Week.
However, we see the main trend identified in the latter: the omnipresence of the skin, both for men and women, with cutouts, mini-skirts and transparencies. The collection is practically all white with some black and pink.
She is baptized The darling with reference to volumes. Initially it was to be called The pantiesbut “it was ugly” for Versailles, laughs the stylist.
Openwork tights or white knee-high stockings with a rose accessorize feminine looks, more theatrical than usual, decor requires.
The idea of the collection was to “mix Lady Diana and Marie-Antoinette” and to make something modern out of “this bizarre association”, explains Jacquemus after the show, in front of his inspiration board with photos of Lady Di.
“I’ve always been 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 his “favorite modern princess”.
The abundance of tutus evokes Marie-Antoinette’s passion for ballet.
“Not allowed to everyone”
PHOTO JULIEN DE ROSA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Actress and model Laetitia Casta
“I wanted something very elegant, ballet-inspired, even for the men ‘who wear tutus with suits or more looks’ casual sweater and loose 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 film Donkey Skin from 1970, which accompanies the parade, reinforces the “fantastic and whimsical side”.
“There are dreams and reality too, these are not disconnected clothes,” says 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 appointment I was told that this would not be possible. Today, it’s crazy, I have a one-year contract,” says Jacquemus, promising “something special” to come.