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After cutting the ribbon on his first New York boutique — designer Simon Porte Jacquemus zipped down Wooster Street, passing a block-long line that would persist well into the afternoon. (To say nothing of the cheering mob of raised iPhones that coalesced for the photo-op earlier.) He was thronged by publicists and security; a few brave souls darted over to match his stride, gushing and taking selfies.
“He’s like Jay-Z just walking in the middle of the street,” laughed Talal, a 20-something equity research analyst.
Jacquemus has long been called a fashion star; the crowd that gathered Friday morning treated him like a star, full stop.
The designer’s first store on Spring Street in SoHo marks an important moment for the French-born business — Jacquemus himself told BoF it was “bigger than anything we’ve done” at the store on Friday morning, calling it “the beginning of an expansion.” The company, which has managed to hit €200 million in sales in 2022 without the support of a major conglomerate or big financial backer, is just getting started: in late 2022, Jacquemus said he wants to hit €500 million by 2025.
The store is set in a townhouse with a brick facade and a white window front. It sprawls across two floors and carries a selection of the brand’s womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories. Frank Lloyd Wright tables and chairs by Jean Royere and Dunand are peppered between the plain oyster white walls typical of Jacquemus’ other shops. Heels and bags are spaced out across the shelves; ready-to-wear and New York-themed merch hung on racks.
“It’s not just opening a store, it’s an independent brand that’s opening its first store in the US,” Jacquemus. “It’s really special.”
Shoppers thought so too. The first person in line — Janae, who arrived at 5:30 a.m. — was breaking an eight month-long self-imposed shopping hiatus in honour of the opening. Others were there for the free croissant, a selfie, the chance at the golden ticket — i.e. a free Rond Carré pouchette — in one of the similarly-shaped brown paper breakfast bags the brand teased on social media all week. Others were pulled by the gravity that develops around any line in Manhattan, particularly in SoHo, which has hosted popular storefronts like Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode’s summertime pop-up.
A few customers at the front of the line were in search of jobs — not just clothes. One held up a sign asking if Jacquemus wanted her CV; another had been practising his pitch. (For those interested, the job of CEO is currently open — former chief executive Bastien Daguzan departed the company last December.)
A dad walked by with his young, fashion-girl daughter “Wait I’ve seen that thing on Instagram,” he said of the giant, blazing silver Rond Carré bag-shaped car posted outside of the store.
Jacquemus has hit a note with shoppers with the right mix of ideas and well-priced accessories: bucket hats ($165) and scarves (starting at $250). The brand’s marketing further sets it apart. People in line referenced various stunts, such as when Jacquemus sent minivan-sized CGI handbags gliding through Paris, staged a runway show in a Provençal lavender field and opened a pop-up shop in Seoul shaped like his Bambino bag.
A series of New York-themed photos and videos on Instagram hyped the new store: a kid dressed like the Empire State Building, models hauling an oversized Jacquemus coffee cup and eating a giant slice of pizza.
“When you’re in New York, there’s something super magical about it,” said Jacquemus. “I’ve always felt like Jacquemus and America can be a great story.”
The storefront is the second major push the brand has made in the US this fall: In September, it opened a boutique in Nordstrom’s New York flagship. But while Jacquemus is just starting to tell his American story, it’s clear New Yorkers have been listening for a while.
“Everybody knows about Jacquemus,” said customer number one, Janae. “Who doesn’t know at this point?”
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