After cutting the ribbon at his first New York boutique, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus sprinted down Wooster Street, weaving his way through a block-long line that stretched into the afternoon. (Not to mention the cheering iPhone-toting crowd that gathered for the photo shoot earlier.) He was swarmed by publicists and security personnel. A few brave souls ran up to his stride and snapped selfies.
“He’s like Jay-Z just walking down the middle of the street,” laughed Talal, an equity research analyst in his 20s.
Jacquemus has long been called a fashion star. The crowd that gathered Friday morning treated him like a star.
The designer’s first store on Spring Street in Soho marks a significant moment for the French-born business. Jacquemus himself told BoF on Friday morning that the store was “bigger than anything I’ve ever been to,” calling it “the beginning of an expansion.” We have managed to reach a turnover of 200 million euros in 2022 without any financial support, but we are just getting started. In late 2022, Jacquemus said he hoped to achieve sales of 500 million euros by 2025.
This shop is housed in a townhouse with a brick facade and white windows. Spanning two floors, the store stocks the brand’s womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories. Frank Lloyd Wright tables and chairs by Jean Royère and Dunant are scattered between the plain oyster white walls typical of other Jacquemus locations. Heels and bags are spaced out across the shelves. Ready-to-wear clothing and New York-themed items were hung on racks.
“This isn’t just a store opening; it’s an independent brand opening its first store in the U.S.,” Jacquemus said. “It’s really special.”
Shoppers thought so too. Yanae, who was first in line, arrived at 5:30 a.m. to commemorate the store’s opening, breaking an eight-month restraint on shopping. Others are up for a chance at a free croissant, a selfie and a golden ticket, a free pouch of Ron Carré, a similarly shaped brown paper breakfast that the brand has long teased on social media. I was hoping for a chance to get into one of the bags. While some stores were pulled by gravity on all Manhattan routes, Soho in particular was home to popular stores such as Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Lorde’s summer pop-up.
A few customers at the front of the line were looking for jobs as well as clothes. One person held up a placard asking Jacquemus if he wanted a resume. The other person was practicing pitching. (For those interested, the CEO job is currently open. Former CEO Bastian Dagzan left the company last December.)
“I’ve seen it on Instagram,” said a father passing by with his young fashion girl daughter, referring to the huge shiny silver Ron Carré bag-shaped car posted outside the store. Ta.
Jacquemus captures shoppers’ attention with the right mix of ideas and affordable accessories, including bucket hats ($165) and scarves (starting at $250). Brand marketing makes it even more prominent. Those who waited in line saw Jacquemus gliding a minivan-sized CGI handbag around Paris, holding a runway show in the lavender fields of Provence, and opening a pop-up shop in the shape of his Bambino bag in Seoul. We used various stunts as references, such as
A series of New York-themed photos and videos on Instagram promoted the new store. They include a child dressed like the Empire State Building and a model carrying an oversized Jacquemus coffee cup and eating a giant pizza.
“There’s something very magical about being in New York,” Jacquemus said. “I always felt that Jacquemus and America could be a great story.”
The storefront marks the brand’s second major U.S. initiative this fall. In September, she opened a boutique at Nordstrom’s New York flagship store. But while Jacquemus is just beginning to tell America’s story, it’s clear New Yorkers have been listening for a while.
“Everyone knows Jacquemus,” said Janae, their number one customer. “Who doesn’t know at this point?”
