There is no doubt that Simon Porte Jacquemus has successfully entered the haute couture market. Since founding his independent brand in 2009, this French designer has been attracting all eyes. The success of the brand has enabled Jacquemus to double its turnover to 200 million euros by 2022 and is on track to increase its turnover to 500 million euros by 2025. Additionally, Jacquemus brought the product to market through a multi-year partnership with sportswear giant Nike. Sales of shoes, sportswear and sports capsules as well as seasonal products. Simon has remained true to his strategy throughout his success, as he told BoF : “To be honest, my strategy is to have a strong brand with a strong image and contemporary pricing. But I don't want to be a contemporary brand."
Although his designs often evoke a feeling of "naiveté", Jacquemus presents a world of playful and avant-garde design represented by the concept of surrealism. Anyone familiar with Jacquemus' designs and campaigns knows that the designer loves to captivate audiences with his surreal and often passionate campaigns. For Simone, image is everything, and for Jacquemus, it's what he wants to sell. In an industry where fashion brands are constantly competing for consumers' attention, Jacquemus has proven time and time again that Jacquemus can conquer the luxury market through its innovative marketing approach. From unconventional fashion shows to real-life campaigns to the strategic use of social media, Jacquemus has redefined how luxury fashion brands can engage consumers.
In an oversaturated market, Jacquemus uses real marketing to capitalize on consumers' desire for escape and the extraordinary. Aiming to surprise, delight and spark conversations inside and outside the industry, Jacquemus channels the power of storytelling to create a deeper connection with audiences. In detail, two key elements make the real success of Jacquemus' real marketing strategy: creating experimental, immersive and transcendent fashion events and pop-ups to transport its audience to another world, and using the imagination of models modern to create the illusion of creating to create romance.
When it comes to creating experiential marketing campaigns, the Jacquemus team knows what they're doing. From one of the most memorable events, a 500 meter high pink amphitheater set against a backdrop of lavender fields in Provence, to an all white amphitheater amid giant piles of salt in Camargue, France, to taking control of the Palace of Versailles. Simon not only embodies the essence of Jacquemus, but also integrates French heritage into the brand's history. In the digital age, experiences can be easily transferred and become Instagrammable moments, becoming a media sensation and a breathtaking spectacle. Most of these locations have been carefully selected to provide a feeling of exclusivity that allows Jacquemus to compete with other luxury brands. For example, performances are often by invitation only and take place in hard-to-reach locations.
In addition to good deals, Jacquemus stores are always a topic of conversation. Simon continues to prove he understands the power of place to create unforgettable experiences by choosing artificial locations for his pop-ups and boutiques that evoke a dreamlike and luxurious imagination, most recently at Lake Como, Portofino and the Alps French. . Not only was the physical experience visually impressive, but the event also generated buzz and user-generated content (UGC) from fans around the world. Jacquemus transports the audience into a state of fantasy and succeeds in creating a sense of wonder.
Jacquemus continues to prove that a brand's online personality can have a life offline. If image is essential, Simon must constantly pay attention to the brand to increase its attractiveness. Since its creation, the Jacquemus brand has always been guided by a feeling of escape. In spring 2018, Jacquemus and his ensemble “La Bomba” presented a short film featuring dramatic salsa dance to capture the perfect summer vacation. This led to the campaign continuing as viral images of the exaggerated “La Chapeau Bomba” were shared non-stop on social media. The most important thing these days is to stay relevant and create special moments to share. From oversized Jacquemus toasters to matching Bambino handbags, oversized handbags on wheels rolling through the streets of Paris and a Bambino-themed pop-up cafe in Seoul, the French brand takes surreal merchandising to a higher level. This year, in the post-pandemic world, these moments have given rise to offbeat content that offers an escape to viewers around the world. Through experiential creativity, visual language becomes the key to increasing engagement.
Simply put, a social media savvy designer knows how to grab the attention of their audience. In addition to the immersive physical brand experience, Simon also uses other traditional forms of visual advertising to create a sense of surrealism. The designer used existing models to bring Jacquemus' vision of a luxurious lifestyle to life. International models such as Liu Wen, Adut Akech, Kendall Jenner, Vittoria Ceretti, Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam and many others are regularly spotted on the Jacquemus catwalk, adding to the already enchanting atmosphere. By specifically recruiting today's models, Jacquemus not only perpetuates the luxurious and sophisticated fantasy often conveyed by luxury brands, but also follows a strategy that positions the brand in the spirit of the times. Jacquemus himself commented on a moment in history: the modern era where today's fashion audience is heavily influenced by models like Jenner and Hadid.
Models have long been used in the fashion world to sell dreams or fantasies. With models like Jenner and Hadid fronting the brand's major campaigns, they play into the surrealism of Jacquemus' marketing. For example, Hadid appears as the face of the fall 2023 “Le Chouchou” campaign, in which she sits in a cherry-studded hot tub inspired by abstract art. In another photo, she appears in a red balloon dress and shows an apple falling in a field. When Jenner starred in the "GARLAND" holiday collection campaign, the model played the laid-back heroine of a "ski bunny" fantasy in a futuristic dream chalet. Jacquemus relied on the allure of the models to give the surreal campaign a voyeuristic intensity.
These days, while most people are hoping to make up for the years lost to the global pandemic, fashion lovers are seeking solace in the world of fantasy. Although surrealism is not new to the fashion world, it seems to be making a comeback. From avant-garde pieces to milestone moments, brands are tapping into the fantasy trend to create a brief escape from reality. Jacquemus' success proves that surrealism has its place in modern fashion and that the public increasingly wants to be enchanted and experience moments of fantasy.
