Jacquemus's lightness returns to the runway for SS27 «I wanted to go back to what I was doing fifteen or sixteen years ago, but with the expertise we have today»

There is something deeply ironic about presenting a collection under the scorching sun of Corsica, with the wind constantly shifting direction and the heat making every movement feel more real. Even before discussing silhouettes or backstage savoir-faire, Simon Porte Jacquemus smiled at the obvious. "It's not the perfection we imagine, but at the same time, this is life."  A sentence that captured the morning better than any press release ever could. After seasons spent expanding the Jacquemus universe through ever more spectacular locations, for SS27 the designer returned to the Mediterranean, choosing Calvi, in Corsica. Not out of nostalgia, but to remind himself of the essence of the brand.

Backstage, Simon explained that everything began with a question. With the launch of the beauty line planned for next year, he found himself asking: "What do I want people to see when they think of Jacquemus? What is the true spirit of Jacquemus? Lightness." Lightness in colours, in construction, in emotions. Looking at the collection, it was impossible not to notice how every look was built around this idea. Butter yellows, tomato reds, luminous whites, stripes and polka dots evoked the Mediterranean without ever slipping into cliché. More than a postcard, it felt like a memory.

This new lightness also stems from something deeply personal. Simon spoke about how his children, Mia and Sun, have changed the way he sees colour. "They give me the strength to use yellow, red, stripes, polka dots… easy slippers you can walk straight into the water with." Listening to him, it became clear that the collection was not simply about the South of France, but about the way you look at it when everything still feels possible. The silhouettes, too, looked back to the brand's origins. Brassières, crop tops and essential lines recalled the early years of Jacquemus, but with an entirely different technical maturity. "I wanted to go back to what I was doing fifteen or sixteen years ago, but with the savoir-faire we have today."

This is probably the sentence that best describes the entire collection. Rather than reinventing his own language, Simon distilled it. Embroideries disappeared into the construction of the garments instead of imposing themselves on the surface. Feathers became part of the structure. Leathers took on textures inspired by fruit and vegetables, while draping gave the silhouettes a softness without sacrificing precision. "I didn't want anything to be too loud." And it is precisely this restraint that made the collection so compelling. Every detail asked to be discovered, never flaunted.

Watching the models recede into the Calvi landscape toward the lighthouse, it was clear this was not a show built on spectacle. It was an exercise in identity. An attempt to understand that, sometimes, the most contemporary gesture a designer can make is to return to exactly where it all began. With SS27, Simon Porte Jacquemus did not reinvent his own universe. He simply reminded us why we fell in love with it.