Simon Porte Jacquemus Turns Personal History Into Runway Poetry With SS26 “Le Paysan”
The designer transforms his childhood memories into a heartfelt sartorial narrative that feels both grounded and grand.
Summary
- Jacquemus’ SS26 “Le Paysan” collection pays tribute to Simon’s rural upbringing and family heritage
- Womenswear and menswear blend rustic elegance with skilled craftsmanship and Provençal playfulness
- Accessories nod to French countryside life with whimsical produce-inspired designs and artisanal finishes
Set against the stately backdrop of L’Orangerie at the Château de Versailles, Jacquemus’ Spring/Summer 2026 collection, “Le Paysan” (The Peasant), unfolds as an emotive tribute to founder Simon Porte Jacquemus’ rural heritage.
Inspired by his childhood in the South of France, the collection seamlessly blends memory and imagination, transposing the quiet poetry of simple living into sculptural silhouettes and textured tailoring. It channels intimate inspirations from Simon’s personal history: family albums filled with photos of harvests, his grandmother’s elegant way of dressing up, and the comforting feel of ironed cotton on a Sunday. “I want to create an autobiographical journey for June: one that begins in the countryside, soft and minimal, with linen as the foundation. From there, it gradually transforms, blossoming into an explosion of bonbon hues, stripes, embroidery, and prints. Various colors emerge, all connected, culminating in a look that is totally couture,“ Simon wrote on his Instagram.
The womenswear offering embraces voluminous jupons, tulle aprons turned inside-out and structured jackets shaped by internal half-corsets. Poplin is cut into geometric motifs reminiscent of vintage linens, delicately embroidered, dotted and monogrammed.
Craftsmanship shines in standout pieces like the rare tulle bobbin dress, composed of 700 meters of cord and a sheer mousseline sheath adorned with silk taffeta diamonds. These tactile surfaces are punctuated by sculptural tassels and handcrafted embellishments that echo provincial elegance. Leather tassels and sculptural details further accentuate the collection’s folkloric elegance.
Meanwhile, menswear reads like a Marcel Pagnol character come to life: rustic yet elevated. Cropped jackets and wide-legged trousers are rendered in breezy linens and whisper-fine leathers, each detailed with topstitched stripes or subtle herringbone weaves. The palette is carefully curated with milky white, cream and black, alongside fresh shades of blue, pink and yellow reminiscent of sugared almonds and classic Berlingot stripes.
Accessories deepen the rural reverie with berets, Arlésian shawls and espadrilles tied with grosgrain ribbons, while whimsical references to market stalls – leather leeks, garlic garlands and fruit-shaped jewelry – add a wink of surrealism. Jacquemus’ famed woven bags also. return in Provençal textures, joined by a new ladylike handbag, “Le Valerie,” named after the designer’s mother.
Beyond its visual storytelling, “Le Paysan” represents a personal homecoming for Jacquemus. By revisiting silhouettes and themes from his earlier collections with renewed craftsmanship, the designer circles back to the roots that shaped him, offering a collection that is as emotionally rich as it is technically refined.
