As exquisite as Jacquemus' runway collections may be, to the casual fan they may simply be regarded as a showcase for his ongoing Nike sneaker collaborations. And, indeed, the Jacquemus Nike Air Max 1 shoe all but stole the show at his Spring/Summer 2024 "Les Sculptures" — if that's all you wanted to see.
Of course, you can also just step back and look at Jacquemus' SS24 collection as what it is: another artful co-ed collection filled with clothes both wearable and whimsical.
Living up to the show's title, the "Les Sculptures" clothes were shaped by purposeful proportions like wide jackets cropped to the waist, shapely single-sleeve dresses, chest-wrapping tops that extend into three-dimensional art pieces, and trousers that extend up to the torso like a flower in bloom, all cut from gauzey cottons and breathable summer wools.
Rich with tonal looks — romantic red, sandy beige, officecore grey — Jacquemus SS24 is defined more by shape than hue.
The emphasis is on silhouette and, as such, there are plenty of wearable shapes done different: button and lapel-less blazers, boatneck sweaters, and sleeveless tunics that epitomize louche summer ease.
But, yes, for the sneakerheads starved for next-level Nike collaborations, Jacquemus always comes correct. Or at least comes with something.
The Jacquemus Air Max 1 is retooled from toe to tip, with a slightly squared-off toebox that interrupts the typical mudguard and minimalized upper that ditches the external Swoosh.
Leaked colorways of the JM1, as it'll likely be called, earned mixed reviews from sneakerheads but the pair worn on the runway by Simon Porte Jacquemus himself is pretty objectively attractive, wearing beautifully tanned beige tones like one of his sunbathing models.
As divisive as Jacquemus' take on the Air Force 1 was — such is the inevitability of a quintessentially chunky shoe made low-profile — ya can't deny that it was at least different.
How refreshing it is to see a fashion-forward designer actually reinvent a Nike classic.
Too often, these designer-sportswear team-ups yield rather ordinary colorways of recognizable shoes. Not so in the case of Jacquemus.
Expect the sneakers to release sometime in the not-so distant future along with the rest of Jacquemus' Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
