Simon Porte Jacquemus has never needed four walls to make a statement. For Le Bonheur, his Spring 2027 show, he swapped the runway for a coastal footpath in Corsica. The collection was presented along the trail leading up to the Phare de la Pietra, a lighthouse perched on a rocky island off the northwest coast of Corsica.
It was, by any measure, a gamble.
The weather does not consult a show schedule, and the designer knew it. The coed collection, also titled Le Bonheur, was unveiled at 10 a.m. on June 29th, just after menswear week ended in Paris. Jacquemus described the site plainly, calling it a place of exceptional beauty and history. He said he felt honored to present the show there. He also committed to something beyond the spectacle itself: a partnership with the town of Île-Rousse to help restore and preserve the lighthouse.
That detail matters. Destination shows can resemble tourism ads with clothes attached. This one had a civic purpose. Jacquemus even cast part of his runway show locally, holding a casting call in Corsica to find models from the region, a small gesture that pulled the show away from pure spectacle and toward collaboration.
Front row seats were given to a diverse crowd. Among the attendees were Isabelle Huppert, Katseye’s Manon Bannerman, and the actor Park Seo-joon. Meanwhile, a row of sailboats spelled the designer’s surname in the distance. It was a stunt he had used before, but it still made an impact.
The wind did not cooperate.
Parasols meant to shade guests along the trail came loose more than once. One clipped journalist Loïc Prigent on its way down. Another narrowly missed Athéna Accorsi, the daughter of Laetitia Casta, who closed the show in her runway debut. Nobody was seriously hurt, and by evening, the mishap had become the kind of anecdote that accompanies a Jacquemus show.
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The clothes themselves leaned toward ease rather than drama. Cotton poplin shirtdresses, gauzy bubble skirts, and taffeta palazzo pants moved down from the lighthouse in a palette that the house has made its own: chalky whites, lemon yellow, aquamarine, and coral. Soft whites and ivories formed the foundation, while lemon yellow, aquamarine, pale blue, coral, and mint green introduced a rhythm evocative of the sea and sky. Tank tops reappeared as structural pieces rather than disposable basics, crafted from materials as diverse as sheer organza and papery leather.
The menswear collection was impressive too, with fluid caftans and barrel-cut organza trousers that managed to avoid looking like an afterthought stitched onto a womenswear show. Duster coats fell from knotted headscarves. Bustier columns were slit up the back with a precision suggesting the workshop’s growth beyond the mood board.
None of this would exist without the timing. Jacquemus is preparing to launch his first fragrance with L’Oréal next spring, and he has acknowledged that the collection needed to carry that weight. “I always think in 360-degree terms,” he said. “It’s not just the perspective of a designer creating their latest collection. I’m also a founder thinking about the brand’s next steps.“
