Alive with a pop of yellow in his belt, Simon Porte Jacquemus accepted the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT to kickoff New York Fashion Week. He received the honor at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. In the past, the prize has gone to Maria Grazia Chiuri, Gabriela Hearst, Oscar de la Renta, Thom Browne, Carolina Herrera, and Karl Lagerfeld, to name a few.
“At 19, I launched Jacquemus with nothing more than a dream—no resources, no contacts—just a clear vision to redefine fashion, to approach it from a fresh perspective,” Jacquemus said while accepting the award. “Today, 15 years later, Jacquemus is a house with over 300 employees, and I’m proud to say that we remain independent. For me, this is an invaluable achievement.”
Nordstrom presented the event, and Alina Cho, Ramona Singer, Lauren Santo Domingo, Rickie De Sole, Fern Mallis, Christian Cowan, Meredith Marks, Ken Downing, and others, attended the event. Proceeds benefited The Museum at FIT, and the co-chairs for the event were D’NA founder Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz and Sarah Wetenhall, president and owner of The Colony Palm Beach. Patrick Garry, FIT Art History and Museum Professions major, was given The Museum at FIT Student Award.
Jacquemus launched his eponymous brand in 2009 in honor of his late mother, and he is known for his viral runway shows and embrace of French culture through his clothes. His line includes men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, along with accessories. Jacquemus was a 2014 LVMH Prize finalist and received the 2024 Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion. He was also recently decorated as a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, which is given by the French ministry for advancement in culture. He is the youngest fashion designer to receive this designation.
“[He is] known for his extraordinary visual messaging, which is an emotional messaging; a sense of his emotions being transferred to the audience across his women’s fashion, accessories, menswear, at his fashion shows, at his retail outlets, and his very strong social media presence,” said Dr. Valerie Steele, Director of The Museum of FIT, when presenting the award. “Everywhere, we see this love of fashion, art, and culture, of people and their reactions to these things.”
Following the event, Jacquemus went back to FIT to discuss his career and background with students. He also launches a boutique tonight at Nordstrom with a celebratory cocktail before opening a SoHo store on Oct. 18. “I feel good in America, and especially in New York,” Jacquemus said in his remarks. “I think Jacquemus and America...have such a strong love story.”
Samuel is the Associate Editor at ELLE Magazine. Prior to this role, he was the Assistant to ELLE’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina Garcia. At ELLE, Samuel writes about music, fashion, arts, and culture, interviewing Normani, Lola Tung, Sara Bareilles, Kelli O’Hara, Nicholas Galitzine, Tate McRae, and more. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Samuel attended Northwestern University and currently resides in New York City.
