When we think of French fashion brands, our minds often go to avant-garde designs and the legendary names that have shaped fashion history. But when the world was ready for a fashion brand that felt more fun and approachable, Jacquemus came along.
Designed and founded by Simon Porte Jacquemus, the eponymous label managed to make a name for itself by making fashion fun again. The brand went mainstream when it launched Le Chiquito in 2018 as the tiniest bag you will ever see, which was quickly adopted by a throng of Hollywood A-listers, from Beyoncé to Dua Lipa, with the latter also becoming Simon Porte Jacquemus' BFF.
Jacquemus is also known for its mélange of striking yet unique handbag silhouettes, from the structured Le Bambino shoulder bag to the '90s-inspired Le Bisou and the summer's must-have tote bag, the Soli basket bag. They have all successfully cemented Jacquemus as a luxury handbag brand.
But beyond that, Jacquemus is also known for making fashion approachable. From sensational designs like the mini bags to holding its fashion show in unique locations, Jacquemus has cleverly associated its brand with joy, fun, and ease over time and helped them stand out in an industry that often tries to take fashion too seriously.
Not only that, Jacquemus also knows how to create a strong brand persona on social media, especially on Instagram (with almost seven million followers), which helped new fans to discover the label, especially those who are looking for something fresh and different.
Remember the Jacquemus campaign that featured giant versions of its signature bag and rolled it through the streets of Paris in 2023? The quirky and instantly viral marketing campaign like this helped keep Jacquemus in the limelight while creating a strong brand identity with a sense of playfulness.
So, what else does Jacquemus do successfully? Here’s everything you need to know.
Jacquemus’ Vision & Heartwarming Story
Just like any other industry, successful fashion brands always have an interesting backstory to their origin. For Jacquemus, that story belonged to his late mother.
At the age of 19, Simon Porte lost his mother, Valérie, in a car crash while he was in Paris studying at the prestigious École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode. The heart-shattering moment made him realise the importance of time and gave him the inspiration to launch his eponymous label back in 2009, dedicating it to his mother's maiden name, Jacquemus.
This was evident when the brand celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2019 and the designer shared a special picture on Instagram of himself as a boy being held by his mother. He wrote, "When I lost my mother more than 10 years ago, I decided to launch my brand with her name, Jacquemus, to speak about her and the woman who inspired me. She gave me force and a big smile. Thank you forever," as quoted in South China Morning Post's Style magazine.
This kind of personal and intimate story helped Jacquemus become an approachable brand that fans can relate to. But Simon Porte does not only rely on a sob story. While he is a college dropout, the visionary designer has also worked for big names to hone his design skills before he launched his label. During his early career, he worked for Comme des Garçons, which led him to earn support from the legendary fashion designer Rei Kawakubo herself when he made his big debut at Paris Fashion Week back in 2012.
His passion for costume design has always been there since a young age. As reported by Vogue Arabia, in an interview with his grandmother, she said, "He was a special child, always happy and smiling, dancing or dressing himself up with an obsession for costume."
And this exact upbringing and childhood passion clearly reflect in his collections, which Jacquemus has once described as "naive, raw, and smiley." His designs are easily understood globally but still deeply rooted with revered French style and nuance underneath.
Jacquemus Design: Minimalist, Asymmetrical & Playfully French
From creative geometric designs and evocative fabrics to asymmetrical cuts with warm-weather palettes, when one looks at Jacquemus' wide range of clothing designs, each of them conveys a sense of freedom and a youthful whimsical element. Thanks to its French Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic that blends minimalism with playful sculptural design.
This is due to how Simon Porte works to conceive his collections year after year. Deeply rooted in his childhood memories, holidays, and his beloved mother, Simon Porte has always excelled at creating clothing that makes you happy the moment you wear it.
The label was initially conceived to dress women and help them gain self-confidence through clothes, but Jacquemus expanded its offerings and debuted its first menswear collection during the Spring-Summer 2019 show. And the result is nothing short of exceptional, optimistic, and wearable. Whether it's menswear or womenswear, the brand's designs are known for their simple cuts, often embellished with interesting details that exude renewed originality.
Maybe it's also thanks to Simon Porte's other passions that helped him make beautiful and approachable fashion. From fine art, photography to cinema, painting, and sculpture, each of his collections has imbued one element or another from these influences, as quoted on the brand's official website.
Creative Marketing & Iconic Products
Jacquemus also found enormous success through its handbags and creative marketing campaigns.
Their wildly popular Le Chiquito bag was their successful ticket to global fame, and Jacquemus will always be remembered as the brand that pioneered the mini bag phenomenon. The idea was to shrink its bags down to interesting, impossibly small proportions so they would stand out from the rest, and the creative strategy worked as the bag became an overnight viral sensation.
From celebrities to fashion influencers across the globe, Le Chiquito became the must-have bag as it conveyed aesthetics over necessity. The bag also featured a structured, boxy shape paired with an exaggerated, oversized top handle and came in bold, eye-catching colours.
Their second popular bag, Le Bambino, also caught the attention of fashionistas, especially the younger generation. Launched in the Autumn/Winter 2020 season, Jacquemus' La Bambino became an alternative to the viral micro bags, as the new model served as a more functional, everyday accessory featuring a sleek and minimalist aesthetic.
With a clean, horizontal rectangular shape, the Bambino bag features a structured top handle, classic front flap with their signature gold-toned logo. The bag is also more spacious for daily essentials and even comes in a larger size called Le Grand Bambino, making it the ideal bag for every occasion.
But Jacquemus doesn’t only rely on creative designs, though, as they also clearly have a strong marketing strategy. From 24-hour pop-up vending machines across global fashion capitals to massive bag installations and CGI campaigns on Instagram, Jacquemus knows that in this day and age, a successful product needs that sense of relevancy and urgency.
And, of course, the French brand is very celebrity-friendly at its core. From being spotted on many A-list celebrities and musicians, Jacquemus handbags are often in the spotlight, whether in airport looks, on red carpets, or at high-profile events.
But beyond celebrities, Jacquemus has also partnered up with other brands like Nike for instance. Together they have released a slew of cult-classic sneakers, minimalist apparel, and the Le Swoosh bag. For the 2026 World Cup, the duo even created an exclusive off-pitch collection for the France National Football Team.
Jacquemus is also clever in staying away from rigid and sterile fashion show locations, instead showcasing its latest collections in unconventional places. From the lavender fields of Provence and the Palace of Versailles to the shores of Oahu and the Picasso Museum, Simon Porte knows that the new generation is looking for a breath of fresh air, and these real-life locations connect with audiences in a different way.
Did you know that for its 10th anniversary, called Le Coup de Soleil, Jacquemus held a 500-meter pink runway cutting through a vibrant purple lavender field in Provence, France? The instantly memorable background immediately captured the attention of millions on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
With its stylish unique designs and creative marketing campaigns, Jacquemus is one of the fastest-rising luxury brands that’s here to stay. Shop your Jacquemus pieces now only at MAYFEYR.
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