Let them eat Jacquemus: the noise of quiet luxury

Backdropped by the greens of Versailles, Jacquemus' latest show features the fashion house’s take on the ruffles and regality of quiet luxury. The latest fashion trend to captivate the Internet. First famed by the fashion of Sofia Richie's wedding looks, quiet luxury has decreed that wealth whispers and never yells.  Marked by understated styles, muted colours and old-money aesthetics, it rules with a simplified stance on fashion and beauty from natural make-up to classic pearls and whites. 

@jacquemus

Dedicated to purchasing only the best, the kingdom of quiet luxury is ruled by effortless elegance through timeless and everlasting fashion pieces. Instead of mass consumption and flaunted wealth, this trend cringes at the ways of flex culture much like Jacquemus’ subtle logos and looks always have. This show’s location, more importantly, reminds us why quiet luxury came to be in the first place. 

@jacquemus

An ode to the quiet luxury icon Princess Diana, the Le Chou Chou collection has a colour palette of only white, red and blue with blazers and smocks refreshed by Simon Porte's sexified touch.  Led by nepo-baby royalty like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, the show involved bobbing row boats along the lakes, followed by trays of champagne and cherries. From the fashion to the front row, the show was a spectacle of decadence as the luxury brand embraced all of Gen-Z’s fashion favourites in a renewed take on whispering wealth.  Whilst Simon Porte Jacquemus’ collections are always revered, aspiration definitely sat at the forefront of this event. CEO Bastien Daguzan commented on the extravagance: “It's us showing that if they [the young people] want to, they have access to it." 

@marcforne

Simon Porte Jacquemus has taken creative licence to celebrate the craftsmanship and innovation of Marie Anoinette’s contemporaries’ rather than condone her wealth hoarding. But the brand has still embraced the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles to create the ultimate fantasy of luxury. The location choice begs us to remember the truth behind this emerging trend of quiet luxury as Versailles remains a landmark to what wealth actually means for the lives of the non wealthy.

@fashionfavfword

In reality, quiet luxury fashion isn't about style, but survival. The megarich don’t do outward displays of wealth to not draw attention to what they have and what you don’t. A mistake which, of course, saw the death of Versailles' original owners. The simplicity of these old money aesthetics we find so seductive is an aspirational lifestyle committed to maintaining the powers that be through hushed voices.  The rich can be so quiet when the status quo sits in their hands. 

@fashionfavfword

The drapings of quiet luxury aren’t a sign that the rich are naturally more classy or cultured. It’s not a wardrobe dedicated to beliefs of minimalism and classicism but a technique to maintain their lifestyle by averting attention. Quiet luxury has been the shiny facade to the crimes of the megarich for decades, like wealth hoarding. By idolising the aesthetics of it, we’re romanticising a tactic taken by the wealthy to not raise our class consciousness. 

@hommegirls

Whilst the effects of quiet luxury may not be heard, history reminds us they will always be felt. In the case of the Versailles queen, the public weren’t privy to her eyesore extravagance but they felt it in their daily life. Today, we feel the vibrations of the deafening noise in the reality of rising wealth inequality. And this current resurgence recentres the white rich experience as the aspiration, as we fixate on a lifestyle that only grows out of reach.

@Rubylyn_

Even at the Le Chou Chou show, we can find hints of the reality of the moment. Rowboats are kept in position by swimmers who float in the murky ponds and suited servers come from the woods to feed the guests their desserts after the finale. Beyond the palace walls, Paris has been swarmed by working class protestors for another month. 

@jacquemus

The success of Jacquemus' collection confirms the limits of Gen-Z's eat-the-rich mentality as they fall for the spell of wealth and fawn over the allure of luxury. No matter how reticent, beautiful or creative the scenes of quiet luxury may appear, they can’t mute the reality of wealth inequality. We can applaud the glory of sapphire chokers, lace socks and cherry earrings, but we shouldn’t stop listening to the parable Versailles lives to tell. 

Words - Kitty Lloyd