Jacquemus’s Latest Collection Was Godard-Coded
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On Sunday, 24 hours before the latest Jacquemus show, Blackpink’s Jennie posed on the brand’s Instagram in a bright red dress that resembled a terry cloth towel. She clutched it to her shoulder as if it could fall down at any moment, channeling Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Contempt. This was not a coincidence, but an intentional homage. Simon Porte Jacquemus confessed online that the hot, vibe-y film—about a French playwright and his wife dealing with marital drama in Italy—inspired him to start his label 15 years ago.
Given that connection, it only felt right for Jacquemus to stage his special anniversary show at Casa Malaparte, the redbrick house in Capri made famous by the film. Jennie posed on the rooftop where Bardot sunbathed naked nearly 50 years ago, with the baby-blue sea of Italy’s Gulf of Naples glistening in the distance.
What makes Contempt so memorable is the tension between its unhappy protagonists and their spectacular surroundings. Casa Malaparte is set on a rocky promenade high above the ocean, and Jacquemus—a designer who has made a career out of looks that feel like a vacation—took full advantage of the setting. Anok Yai opened Monday’s show in a textured beige jacket, worn open with the fabric falling off her shoulders and held to her chest with one hand. She looked like she’d spent the whole day lying on the rocks by the beach, and jumped up at the last minute to appear on the runway. It called to mind Bardot in the film, walking angrily down the casa’s steps in a bright yellow bathrobe.
Even the days leading up to the show were filled with imagery that would make anyone want to jet over to the Mediterranean. The brand celebrated the opening of a new boutique one week prior, with videos of a man on a paddleboard ironing a button-down top; a bicyclist overlooking the faraglioni, wearing a tall pile of colorful bucket hats; and a girl sipping a large spritz while sprawled on a sofa chair, whizzing through the winding streets on the back of one of the isle’s famous luggage porter vehicles.
If the promotional videos felt like a vacation, the Jacquemus show felt like what you’d want to pack for the trip. Models wore scarves wrapped around their head and necks, sharp sunglasses tucked behind their ears, and wide angular shouldered tops that exposed sun-kissed clavicles. They sauntered down the runway with backless midi dresses featuring cape details that hung over their shoulders, flowing against the ocean breeze. Jennie closed the show in a backless black dress, a bright blue clutch held at her hip.
With pops of bright blue, buttery yellow, electric red, and a zany zebra print, Jacquemus used to 47 looks to expand on the palette Godard established in his film. And it was easy to imagine Bardot wearing any or all of them while sitting on a boat, looking off at the island of Capri with fabulous contempt.
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