Welcome to New York, Simon.
With a line that stretched more than a city block, customers queued up before dawn to be among the first to shop in the U.S.’s first Jacquemus store.
The French luxury label founded by 19-year-old Simon Porte Jacquemus in 2009 is carried at most of the city’s high-end stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, but the two-level, 2,906-square-foot boutique at 143 Spring Street is the brand’s first stand-alone store.
“It’s really special and beautiful to see,” the designer said of the crowds during a preview before the doors opened to the public at 11 a.m. “I can’t wait to actually cut the ribbon and [invite] the customers in.”
He admitted that he was nervous in the run-up to the opening since the space was just a shell as recently as one week before. “I’m never nervous before a show, but last week, this [space] was nothing.”
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Jacquemus worked on the design of the store with Oma, an international architectural design firm. The location is on the northwest corner of Spring and Wooster in a 19th-century town house with a brick façade and wood planks flanking the store, which was created from paneled glass and metal from the early 2000s.
The store itself is oyster white and features an open layout. The flooring is Bourgogne stone from France that was laid in a pattern inspired by those found in French castles. White stucco alternates with light wood, while banana yellow curtains in the fitting room add a pop of color. The railings on the staircase and the merchandise racks were created from wrought iron crafted by an Italian artisan and are intended to be reminiscent of provencal buildings.
The furniture was designed by Oma or on loan from Christie’s, which was the case with two wooden side chairs, circa 1956, by Frank Lloyd Wright. “I thought it was important to have an American artist,” Jacquemus said.
A chaise croisillon from Jean Royère and a slipper chair by Jean Dunand and Bertrand Lacroix that belonged to Madeleine Vionnet are among the pieces that are owned by the designer and used in the store.
“It’s my personal passion,” he said of the pieces. “That’s why I did the decoration of the store this way, it’s what I love to do. And when people go shopping, I want them to feel part of the vision.”
But, he stressed, the pieces are not for sale.
Other art pieces on display include lithographs by Aristide Maillol and Joan Miro, an engraving by Pierre Bonnard and photographs by Peter Schlesinger and Wolfgang Tillmans. The bronze sculptures in the space are by Aristide Maillol on loan from Galerie Dina Vierny.
Jacquemus said because sales of his line are strong in the American market, he’s confident the store will be a success. “New York is an important market,” he said. “America in general is really important. I feel that our story, our aesthetic and our projects can be even more successful than they are right now in the American market. It’s something that I really want to build.”
Jacquemus established his eponymous brand in 2009, dedicating it to his late mother. His ready-to-wear and accessories are inspired by his passion for art and decorative arts, and his collections for women and men reference French culture and the beauty found in fine art, photography, painting and sculpture. The designer is known for his innovative approach to fashion shows and theatrical runway productions that have taken place in unexpected locations such as a Parisian swimming pool or inside the Musée Picasso, winding through a lavender field in Provence or a wheat field outside of Paris.
Jacquemus said that if the opportunity arose and the location was right, he would consider showing his collection in the U.S. at some point in the future. “I would love to, but not right now, that’s not the strategy. But if I have a story to tell and find a house, then yes.”
He said he is “obsessed with New York,” which is why he chose the city for his first international store. He enjoys looking at art while he’s in town and simply walking the streets and absorbing the energy. “That’s why we’re here today,” he said.
Jacquemus revealed that he just completed a deal for his second U.S. store, which will be on Melrose next to Maxfields in Los Angeles. That store is expected to open in February.
Beyond that, the brand operates a store in Paris, as well as units in Saint-Tropez and Dubai. And there are a few stores in Korea, he said. “And more to come,” he said.
“But this one is special,” he said of the SoHo store. “As an independent brand, opening a store [like this] is a big thing. It takes a lot of investment and it’s a new way to think about the business for a young company.”
The store offers women’s and menswear as well as accessories including his “It” bag, the Rond Carré clutch. And the assortment is the same as is found in other locations globally. “I don’t divide people by country or by region. I never like to think this way,” he said. “Everyone is connected on their phones, and everyone sees the same thing at the end of the day.”
Women’s makes up the bulk of sales, he said, and while men’s is “still small, it’s the fastest-growing category in our business” when it comes to rtw. “We’ve had amazing figures at every department store like Selfridges so it’s something we will push.”
The designer said his company is still looking for a new chief executive officer to replace Bastien Daguzan who departed to join Fear of God in September. Daguzan had spearheaded the company’s growth into physical retail while also growing its online and wholesale channels.
In 2022, the last time the privately held company detailed sales, they were 212 million euros and the plan is to reach 500 million euros by 2025.
To introduce the store to customers, the company created a “bag truck” that looked like a Rond Carré bag, and served breakfast — croissants and juice — to passersby.
This was an extension of an Instagram stunt he pulled this spring when the company used AI to create a video of giant Bambino bags traveling down the streets of Paris. That clip went viral and got 100 million views, he said, so he created the real thing for New York. “I always wanted to do something like this to make people smile,” he said. “It’s almost like pop art.”
In addition to meeting customers, Jacquemus was hoping to get some free time to walk the streets listening to music before returning home to Paris. “It’s so meditative to walk around New York with music,” he said.
