Jacquemus makes its mark at Paris Fashion Week

It may have only been showing on the official schedule for a few years, but Jacquemus is fast becoming one of the most intriguing brands to show at Paris Fashion Week.

The label, founded by Simon Porte Jacquemus and known for its poetic, abstract approach to ready-to-wear, took the spirit of the south of France as the departure point for its Spring/Summer 2017 catwalk show on Tuesday. Titled 'Les Santons de Provence', the show was a romantic and nostalgic ode to a simpler life, but also offered a modern and free-spirited take on tradition.

The figurines of the Santons can be recognized via their costumes, and Jacquemus's 32 looks riffed on this idea. As a result the collection featured simplistic yet elegant fabrics such as linen, cotton, wool and white lace, in clean tones like black, brown, navy and white, with jolts of scarlet red or polka dots injecting a jolt of color.

The structures, however, were anything but conventional. The models walked down a straight runway in front of a glowing orange circle of light, and this pairing of squares and circles was reflected in the clothes, which played with masculine and feminine lines and volumes. Manly pieces such as jackets, pants and shirts were puffed out and hemmed in for a voluptuous silhouette, while trousers came in strict, straight shapes, or were worn extra wide and fluid, belted at the upper torso to play with proportion. Skirts featured fan pleats for a bohemian note, and the flat, wide straw hats added drama to the ensemble. The squarest pieces were the long, flat shoes with chunky block heels and boxlike toes.

The soundtrack, an emotive orchestral rendition of the main theme from the 1986 French period drama film "Jean de Florette" suggested nostalgia, but the star-studded front row points to a very modern future for Jacquemus.