“Jacquemus-like”, The Good and The Rest

I’m wearing:

Jacquemus – Plaid Woven Coat – Bright blue | Vetements – Cotton-blend Socks – White | CÉLINE Shoe boots

“Jacquemus-like”, an emerging industry jargon, precisely summed up this French designer’s feat in the past few years and his instant celebratory status. Showing alongside a list of young talents in Paris, his latest SS 2017 collection was fêted by the trade veterans.

The padded shoulders, outsized buttons, deconstructed cuts, and larger-than-life-puffy sleeves like the ones on me are arresting to say the least. Like Sarah Mower of Vogue has quickly pointed out, the silhouettes, the colors, the fresh-faced ingénues walking down the runway, and the air of the setup evidently don’t belong underground. Nor are they ironic – a quality critics started to voice fatigue against. Instead, Jacquemus’ SS17 collection borderlines mainstream and subculture, a meticulously defined strip of creative territory.

Dramatic styles tend to travel a steeper growth curve, especially at the start. The surprisingly stable trajectory Demna Gvasalia was able to maintain at Vetements proves that there are nuances in such designs and that when handled with prudence, they too can celebrate longevity.

For the media who seem to favor the fresh-faced Jacquemus – who I appreciate deeply but have mixed feelings about – over Gvasalia, they might have overlooked a point here.

My biggest complain about former is its garment construction.

The fashion director of my graduate school, who also happen to have co-worked with the late Alexander McQueen, once criticized Rodarte for lacking knowledge of proper tailoring. I share his pain here.

I wonder if the writers actually had a chance to put Jacquemus on and try to still move their muscles.

I have. The clunky fabric sits uneasily on me, protesting in multiple dimensions about unfitness, not to mention the big effort to put them on in the first place.

This is the 4th Jacquemus piece I own. I’m still a believer – his dazzling talent doesn’t allow me to be otherwise. But I pray for improved functionality as the brand matures.