What was your first introduction to the fashion industry?
 
I started modelling at 15, so that was my first proper professional introduction with fashion, but other than that, my gran would always take me to the V&A museum and it was our little thing. I also taught myself a lot about fashion (or so I thought) through Tumblr in its glory days, and magazines back in 2011/2012.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

 

Conna Walker! I admire her starting her brand at 17 and being able to turn it what it is today. I love that her team and the women she empowers have been diverse from the very beginning. I think she’s an inspiration for a lot of us. Other than that, the women in my life are all huge inspirations to me in their own way. They all amaze me daily. 

  

How has living in London influenced your personal style?

 

London is a great place for fashion, and I think you need to look to the subcultures to really see how living here can influence people’s fashion choices. You can be very expressive here, and I’ve been allowed to explore so many different types of styles just from having the confidence that living in a big city gives you.

 

 

Do you gravitate more towards vintage pieces or designer pieces?

 

Vintage pieces, for sure. It’s really easy to get sucked into buying flashy designer, but if there’s one good thing to come out of not having excess money, it’s not buying trendy designer pieces that go out of style in a year’s time. Vintage clothing can take you back to a different time of place and has a certain charm that new clothing cannot replicate.

 

 

Who are some of your favorite designers?

 

My all-time favourite designer is my good friend, Francis Newman, who is a costume designer and maker who makes THE most incredible garments for TV, film, and a lot of period dramas. He is insanely talented.

 

 

Are there any brands or trends you’re looking forward to this fall?

 

Brown leathers, big fur coats (faux of course), cowboy boots, chunky sweater vests, leather trousers, roll neck jumpers, pops of colour 🧡

What initially sparked your interest in photography & film?

 

I have always loved it! I got my first cheap DSLR camera for my 14th birthday and would take cringe worthy shots in front of graffiti (ew), but from there I have always loved perfecting my shots, and making my subjects look and feel amazing in the images. People always get me to take their Instagram pictures because I just make them look their best. Before that I was using disposable cameras to take pictures of my friends and upload them onto Tumblr. Film, digital, video. I love all of it, especially the editing process. I love seeing a picture turn from absolute shit to absolute gold.

What does your beauty routine primarily consist of?

Day to day I try to wear no makeup at all, but I'm not always that brave. On days I want to look a bit more done up, I'll wear concealer on any blemishes, a bit of light foundation on my cheeks and chin to cover redness, cream bronzer, some mascara, and brush my eyebrows with clear gel. Sometimes I'll highlight my nose. I'm trying to learn to love my bare face, and lockdown has really helped with that.

What is your signature fragrance?

I always forget to renew my perfumes when they run out, but Armani Diamonds Violet reminds me of my mum and I adore it. If I don't have the money to replace my perfume at that time, I'll use the Zara roll on liquid perfumes that they sell at the till for like £3 in the scent 'tuberose.' For some reason it smells SO good. They're so necessary to keep in your bag. They also do it in full size.

Modeling often entails a lot of traveling- how do you typically deal with jetlag?

If I need to stay awake, I'll force myself to go out and do something until a reasonable sleeping time, and if I need to sleep, I'll put on ASMR videos in bed and try my hardest to get sleepy.

What has been you favorite place you've traveled to so far?

Istanbul. The city is incredible, the people are lovely, the food is beautiful, and I made some amazing memories whilst I lived there. I would highly recommend a visit.

Astin Maisie

What are you especially attuned to right now?

Being at home 24/7. And I love it.

The Club's Summer Reading List

James Baldwin was a prominent American novelist and activist most notably known for his essays such as those collected in his book Notes of a Native Son which conveyed the intricacies of the racial, sexual, and class issues prevalent in Western societies, specifically the United States. Similarly, Baldwin’s novel Go Tell it on a Mountain, a semi-autobiographical piece, further explores these themes through a young African-American teenager growing up immersed in the Pentecostal Church in Harlem during the 1930s.

The brilliance of Baldwin’s writings was that they managed to encapsulate the Black experience in America with a distinct poignancy and abrasiveness that provided Black Americans with the language to verbalize their own plight while simultaneously informing their white counterparts of their struggle. These aspects are prevalent in Baldwin’s speeches as well which carry on the rhythmic cadence of a preacher, as Baldwin’s stepfather was a preacher in Harlem.

There are also numerous videos between Baldwin and other civil rights activists.  A favorite of mine has to be a conversation between Baldwin and poet Nikki Giovanni on SOUL!

Overall, Baldwin’s work still remains incredibly relevant today.  Despite spending years discussing the complexity of such social and political issues, Baldwin determined that the cause of perpetuating any form of injustice essentially results from a form of “moral atrophy”:

Preface to the 1984 edition of Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

Malcolm X, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a prominent Civil Rights Activist in the 1950s through mid 1960s before he was assassinated.  Although he was often portrayed as the anti-thesis of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in American public schools, Malcolm X merely critiqued Dr. King’s belief that White America will sympathize with the struggles of Black Americans enough to permit them to obtain certain rights such as voting or eating in restaurants.  According to Malcolm X, their reliance on White America to initiate change would only prolong their struggle as it was passive and permitted any injustice acted upon them to go unchallenged.  Regardless of their differences, both men have contributed immensely to the success and poignancy of the Civil Rights Movement.

Stokeley Carmichael on Dr. King

Malcolm X initially obtained recognition during his time as a member of the Nation of Islam, an African American political movement that advocated for Black Power. It wasn’t until Malcolm X performed Hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage, that he saw Muslims of “all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans” interacting as equals that he realized the viability of achieving racial equality.  He subsequently embraced Sunni Islam and divorced himself from the Nation of Islam resulting in him receiving numerous death threats.  He was eventually assassinated on February 21, 1965 while speaking at the Audobon Ballroom in Manhattan in front of his pregnant wife, Betty Shabaz, and his four daughters.

Like Baldwin, many of Malcolm X’s writings and speeches conveyed the complexity of how racial inequality was perpetuated and maintained in the United States.  It was essentially by recognizing the intricacies of such issues that Malcolm and numerous others would be able to address these discrepancies in a way that would make a significant impact.

His most notable speech, The Ballot or The Bullet, encouraged all Black Americans to unite in their effort to attain their rights as American citizens and vote.  It is ranked as the 7^th out of 100 top American speeches given in the 20^th century.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written by Malcolm in collaboration with Alex Haley and is based on a series of in-depth interviews Haley conducted with Mr. X, and provides a greater insight in the background and evolution of Malcolm X over the years.  It served as a primary resource for director Spike Lee’s film Malcolm X who claimed it was “the most important book… (he) ever read.” 

Angela Davis was also a prominent activist for Black Liberation.  She was a notable member of the Black Panther Party thereby making her a target for the FBI’s counterintelligence program which targeted Black Power Movement groups and activists.  Although she was charged with aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder in a politically charged murder case that occurred in the Marin County Courthouse, she was later acquitted as there was insufficient evidence of her involvement.  Additional details regarding the case are addressed in Angela Davis’ Autobiography as well as Carole Aston’s and Leo Branton’s piece In Defense of Angela: Profile of the Davis Defense Team.

Angela Davis giving her speech at Madison Square behind bulletproof glass

Additionally, Davis’ piece If They Come in the Morning recounts her incarceration and struggle along with a scathing analysis of the American prison systems and the policing of Black individuals.  The books opens with a letter written by James Baldwin to Davis in which he states “if they come for you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”  The novel also includes contributions by numerous activists such as Huey P. Newton, George Jackson, Erica Huggins, Bobby Seale and others.

Her piece Lectures on Liberation is pamphlet she utilized for her course the "Recurring Philosophical Themes in Black Literature" which was the first course she taught at UCLA.  Here, she analyzes the juxtaposition between what white and black writers classify as “freedom” and how Black Americans were denied it.

Overall, Angela Davis has written numerous profound pieces regarding race, women’s liberation, and the American prison system through a social and political lens and has provided individuals with equally valuable insight in her speeches and interviews as well.  Both of which she continues to do so even today.

There are, admittedly, numerous other individuals who have made equally significant contributions to the advancement of Black Liberation in the United States.  Many of which who are addressed in Joy James’ novel Imprisoned Intellectuals. 

In order to adequately address the system that perpetuates the dehumanization of black lives in America, we need to obtain a better understanding of the system itself.  And we can do so by listening to the individuals who have been most affected by it.

THE HOUSE JACQUEMUS BUILT

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Simon spent his days playing barefoot in his family’s apple fields somewhere between Marseille and Avignon, in Mallemort.  Mallemort is an agricultural town consisting of nearly a hundred inhabitants.  Simon’s parents were farmers; his mother specialized in carrots whereas his father exhibited expertise in spinach.  On the weekends, he’d accompany his grandparents to sell fruits and vegetables alongside the road and would wait for tourists visiting from Paris to sell his lavender to them.  For Simon, his childhood was replete with art.

“My mother was a true artist, and so was my father. He wrote poems. He would sing every week on local stages and at the village community centers. He was obsessed with music, a big fan of Serge Gainsbourg. I can remember him wearing these red thigh-high boots with fur on them, singing rock-and-roll at the Fête de la Musique with his friends… [And my mother] was always redecorating our house, an old farmhouse, not very pretty but with a giant wisteria. It was her Southern side; except we didn’t have any money. The house would change completely every week. Once, she hung these dry branches on the walls – really simple ideas, often inexpensive, but for me they were marvelous, as good as the stuff the fancy decorators were doing. So, between my father and my mother, I never ever felt like the misunderstood artist of the family…  Even the village mailman knew I was going to become an artist, somehow.”

HIS FIRST OBSESSION

Paris.

“…when I was a boy, someone told me: ‘If you become famous in Paris, you’re going to be famous all around the world.’ That was my dream.”

THE BEGINNING OF JACQUEMUS

Simon enrolled in the École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode (ESMOD) when he was 18 to fulfill his dream of living in Paris.  The building with its characteristic Parisian architecture housed numerous ambitious creatives; however, reality soon took hold of Simon.

“I was so shocked when I moved to Paris. My mother was about to sell her car to pay for my school. It was so expensive to come to Paris. The flat was so expensive! I had to cry to my grandparents to force and convince everyone. So, I arrived in Paris, at this school, and no one was passionate. In my classroom, on the first day, I remember I went to see my teacher and I was like, what are we doing here? They are not passionate. She said, ‘Simon calm down, you’re too pretentious,’ and I was like: ‘No, I am not pretentious. But this has been my dream since I was nine. Even the postman in Mallemort knows that I’m going to do this in my life.’ I was so disappointed. I thought I’d arrive in Paris and people would be colorful, poetic, inspired, jumping and dancing in the streets, happy to be in Paris. Happy to create something. I was astonished to see all these saturated people. One month after arriving in Paris I lost my mother, for no reason. Her death changed my path radically: I knew life could stop now. I knew you don’t get a second chance. I didn’t want to waste time, so I decided to do Jacquemus. I launched my own brand. I was 19. I left that fashion-school two months later. I wasn’t learning anything there anyway.”

HIS BREAKTHROUGH

It was Simon’s third collection that solidified his reputation as a designer.  The collection consisted solely of dark boiled wool with minimal detail and color.  Broad shouldered coats cinched in at the waist lacked pockets or any other notable embellishments; however, it was this lack of detail that displayed Simon’s aptitude as a designer. Upon seeing the collection at a showroom in Tokyo, Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons, noted that “for a young designer at the age of 21 to do a collection this precise, you have to be an extremely strong designer” which Simon evidently was. 

“I had a Comme des Garçons sweater, but I knew nothing about Rei Kawakubo. So, I went over [to the boutique, and] saw they were looking for a salesman. [Which was how I met] Adrian Joffe.  It was kind of funny - we talked about lots of stuff and got along really well. Then I said, “Actually, I do really need a job!”
I had to push a little to get it. Years later, he said to me, ‘I really didn't want to give you that job at the boutique because for me you were an artist, you wouldn't know how to sell.’ On the contrary, I was actually a really good salesman. In order to create my clothing line, I needed to earn a living, so I was one of the most motivated salesmen at the Comme des Garçons boutique. And we stayed quite close. He put me forward at Dover Street, and he told a lot of people about me. But it was a weird time. I was doing my runway shows, and then the next day I would be at the boutique. It was crazy.”

HIS COLLECTIONS

Jacquemus’ initial minimalism was propagated primarily out of necessity.  Simon sourced his fabrics from marché Saint Pierre and had a seamstress from a curtain shop sew his pieces.  Pockets and buttons were an additional cost, thus his earlier collections relied heavily on draping and distinct cuts thereby resulting in pieces with the brutal minimalism of his third collection. However, Jacquemus’ collections have always served as a powerful and intimate form of expression for Simon. 

“I realize, with a little distance, that each of my collections has been autobiographical. It can be about vacations, my mother, something sad I experienced. But it's always very personal. I used to say to my mother, ‘I'm going to write my autobiography.’ And she would make fun of me: ‘But darling, you haven't lived yet. You've been going to school for eight years. You haven't done anything yet.’

Following his third collection, Simon staged numerous outlandish shows taking place either in public swimming pools or endless stretches of lavender fields.  His collections embody a playful French spirit that relishes in the countryside and its sunshine and consist of pieces that display his artistry without being alienating. 

“I had this image in my mind of what I would be in fashion when I saw Jean Paul Gaultier on television. He was on several different shows, on different channels. He was everywhere. Even my uncle the plumber said, ‘Damn, this guy is cool!’ And I said to myself, ‘I could be a designer without necessarily being a snob.’ You don't have to believe you're among the elite. It may not be much, but that has a lot to do with who I am today. I want to communicate with people.”

THE JACQUEMUS GIRL

The Jacquemus girl maintains the dichotomy between brutality and sensibility.  Masculine and feminine. She is complex and multifaceted.  A Charlotte Gainsbourg of sorts- or better yet, Valérie Jacquemus herself.

“For me, she is always the same woman: she is the basis for everything, and she is like my mother, a naive person, a child-woman. After that, there are different stories that bring her to life; it's a puzzle I follow little by little through that life.”

THE FUTURE

“Having millions and many shops, that’s nothing in life. Stay happy and listen to yourself. I’m not afraid of anything. I can stop Jacquemus tomorrow and become a farmer. To cultivate the earth is very noble. I am happy…The important thing is to stay happy.”

JACQUEMUS