This Monday, there is excitement at the Maeght Foundation.
The young “social network” manager has been overwhelmed by requests on Instagram since Jacquemus’ account announced that the designer would present his summer 2024 show there. After his very “image” show at Versailles last July, Simon Porte Jacquemus is returning to his roots, in Provence, with this “Sculptures” collection, more real and sophisticated, which we would describe as “mature” if the word were not so overused.
It is reminiscent of the Les Santons fashion show seven years ago, a turning point in his career, which gave him legitimacy as a designer and boosted turnover.
So every time this thirty-year-old, very instinctive, loses the thread of his creation a little and feels his business less conquering (even if we remain on an insolent growth), he returns to the essential, to this famous founding season .
Today as then, we find a black silhouette, curved, organic, artistic, sensual while being wearable not only by influencers who are not shy, nor elsewhere, but by (almost) all the women.
Tension of curves and straight lines, muslin and leather Julien Da Costa for Le Figaro
For most of the 200 guests, this is a first in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
So we get ecstatic, we photograph, we hashtag, the café on the square, the pétanque balls, the works and mosaics of the Colombe d'Or (privatized, a rare thing!) where many of them stayed .
A New York journalist is still a little disappointed to learn that the Picassos and Matisses on the walls of the legendary inn are copies, the originals being in safe places.
“
Besides, when they sold the Miro three months ago for 20 million euros, they also got the fake one
,” says a connoisseur of the place.
The bride's veil Julien Da Costa for Le Figaro
On the other hand, at the Maeght Foundation, everything is true.
It is particularly beautiful this day, under the blue sky, invaded by young people dressed all in Jacquemus, for the pleasure of Isabelle Maeght.
“
The Foundation is made to welcome young people, and fashion has always been part of the arts for us.
My mother was a model at Christian Dior, she and my grandmother dressed at Dior, Givenchy and Balenciaga.
Moreover, it was Cristobal Balenciaga who offered the Christ of the Saint-Bernard Chapel to the Foundation!
, confides the granddaughter of Marguerite and Aimé Maeght.
And then, I have a lot of affection for Simon, his work corresponds to our philosophy and there are these aesthetic correspondences with his fashion.
We also chose together the Giacometti who are in the rooms, like in front of you,
the Spoon Woman (1926-1927).
» Behind the curves of this bronze, unique in the world, a crowd of professional and amateur photographers formed in front of Julia Roberts, delighted to be here.
Then, the lenses move a few places further to immortalize Kylie Jenner and her 5-year-old daughter Stormi.
“
The Foundation is not stuck in the past, it is very much in its time.
And we hope that this visibility offered by Jacquemus will attract new young people,
continues Isabelle Maeght.
We were the first museum to let children in for free because for my parents, they represented our future... and our future visitors!
Some today are even fifth generation.
»
Simon did not come to the Foundation as a child. "
I don't even know if my parents knew about it, but as soon as, when I was young, I saw photos of the place, I knew that I would present a parade.
Because we share so much: the lifestyle, the sense of humor, the open door, the poetry... It's art and family,
says the French stylist a few minutes after the show, who as in his used to bring his grandmother, cousins, etc.
The idea for this fashion show was born from two apparently opposing inspirations.
Namely Giacometti and the clichés of bourgeois style from the 1980s and 90s, with the sweater on the shoulders, references to horse riding, etc.
The result is a sort of 'pop luxury', still with that round shoulder that comes from the Provençal costume and a less frontal sensuality, for a more adult woman.
Luxury also because we have further elevated our manufacturing by changing factories, as with this leather
(crocodile-embossed on a very beautiful trench worn by the model Gigi Hadid at the opening of the show).
I created my brand fifteen years ago, I want it to look like who I am today.
»
He is tired of being reduced to an Instagram phenomenon and a “marketing” brand.
“
When I wake up in the morning, I look at paintings by Bacon, the interiors of Jacques Grange, the works of Giacometti, Braque and Calder
.
» Whose aerial geometries echo its grammar of round and square.
These days, all of his teams are moving (again) to a larger headquarters, there will be 300 of them there. In a few months, he will open his first store in New York.
This collection is timely, showing that he is far from running out of steam.
The Foundation hopes to increase its attendance a little, currently 30,000 visitors per year, but not to the detriment of the quality of the visit.
“
This year is our 60th anniversary
,” concludes Isabelle Maeght.
Which we are going to celebrate, among other things, with the exhibition on Bonnard and Matisse - dad who is also attending the parade is undoubtedly one of the last to have known them both.
»