After working at a Comme des Garçons boutique in Paris years ago, 19-year-old Simon Porte Jacquemus returned to his roots in the South of France to cleave his own path. With an LVMH Prize finalist nod under his belt and the backing of the revered Rei Kawakubo, the designer launched a self-titled label of handbags that has since become one of fashion’s most coveted accessories. At the new terracruda-clad shop inside London department store Selfridges, the it-bags are given a stage that honors their origins.
AMO, the research and design arm of the acclaimed Dutch architecture firm OMA, outfitted the space with sweeping clay-based shelving crafted of materials local to Provence. Against the backdrop of the organic display, Jacquemus’ bags pop like ornaments on a sand-toned Christmas Tree. Pieces from 2017’s viral micro La Bomba collection—worn by A-listers such as Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna—are on offer, of course, as are the brand’s other designs including canvas over-the-shoulders and leather cross-bodies in a variety of colors. In the earthy curvilinear environs, the sculptural minis look monumental. Proving again an elemental truth: sometimes small things show up big.
