jacqpot

mornin’ merry makers ☀️🧈🍋🍌🥂

when economic storm clouds gather, marketing budgets are almost always the first on the chopping block. it's practically a reflex.

cut costs, play it safe, weather the storm.

i’ve worn the finance hat in these meetings at both apple & warby parker. i was the one asking is this massive marketing spend really necessary?

now?!

but after reading this, i’ve realized the real opportunity comes from doing exactly the opposite. you need to find the opportunities to invest where others are pulling back.

with taste & purpose of course.

the fairly young, very playful french fashion brand, jacquemus, is doing exactly this, extremely well. while most luxury retailers are battening down the hatches, jacquemus is throwing lavish parties, building experiential stores, & investing heavily in moments of pure joy.

it's working spectacularly.

their revenue growth is bananas.

from €11.5 million in 2018 to €100M in 2021 to €280M in 2023 according to market estimates, they’re private.

they’re up 6% in entertainment growth according to the entertain or die report.

they're doing this through a strategy that prioritizes experience, emotion, & creating moments of pure sunshine in butter yellow.

history hits

let me hit you with 5 quick facts that'll make you sound like a jacquemus expert at your next dinner party:

1. founded by 35 year old, simon porte jacquemus, the brand is named after his mother's maiden name (talk about a sweet tribute!)

2. jacquemus started in 2009 when he was 19 as an indie french label inspired by simon's countryside upbringing in provence. they quickly charmed the fashion world with "pop luxury" designs & those viral mini bags called le chiquito!

3. the brand isn't just about clothes. it's about a sunny, optimistic lifestyle with emotive storytelling that resonates across digital & physical spaces.

4. their first permanent store opened on avenue montaigne in paris in 2022. it’s a minimalist all-white space. the design extended the dreamy vibe of that season's "le papier" collection staged in the salt hills of southern France.

5. jacquemus has rapidly expanded globally with flagship stores in paris, new york, london, & now los angeles. with more to come as simon recently claimed that "america was my big ambition."

strategy secrets

time to break this down using our trusty profiTABLE framework:

🛍️ products

jacquemus has mastered the art of creating instantly recognizable, social media-friendly products from their micro le chiquito bags to surrealist double-heeled shoes. these runway showstoppers generate massive buzz online & often go straight to waitlists. their see-now, buy-now model means new pieces are available immediately after runway shows, capitalizing on the moment of maximum hype without the typical six-month wait.

📍 places

here's where jacquemus truly shines. their stores are immersive experiences designed to transport you to the south of france. each boutique feels like stepping into simon's world (literally, the la shop is modeled after his own paris office, filled with personal art & provence-inspired decor). olive trees & lavender at the door transport you to the south of france, and xxl sunny yellow couches make the space feel like his living room. customers are encouraged to lounge and hang out.

👥 people

the brand's personality is inseparable from simon himself. his playful, sunny energy infuses everything from store design to marketing campaigns to social media. if you’re one of the 6.6M followers of @jacquemus, you know it's a mix of bucket hat product drops & simon's playful personality. this authentic, personal touch creates an emotional connection with customers who feel like they're buying into simon's world, not just his products.

⚙️ processes

as mentioned earlier, what sets jacquemus apart is their willingness to invest in marketing when others are cutting back. despite economic clouds & tariff wars, jacquemus is charging ahead with joy & usa expansion rather than pulling back. their reasoning is clear: build an emotional bond with customers when they need it most. plus they’re a fiercely independent brand that i’m sure has turned down many acquisition offers.

spicy stories

some particularly noteworthy store stories::

1. melrose market madness: when jacquemus opened its new melrose avenue boutique in la at the end of april, they created a sensation. rather than a simple ribbon-cutting, they transformed the parking lot into a "jacquemus market" inspired by provençal dreams. visitors found heaps of bananas, lemons, & yellow flowers styled in the brand's signature monochrome aesthetic. they hid golden tickets for goodies like willy wonka. the whole event was announced with a cheeky teaser video inspired by 1990s hollywood films, setting the nostalgic la vibe perfectly. needless to say, the feed was absolutely eating it up.

2. bowling for handbags: in march 2025, they partnered with neiman marcus in dallas to unveil the "le petit turismo" bowling bag by literally installing a functional bowling lane inside their northpark store. customers could lace up & bowl with jacquemus-branded pins among luxury handbags. for free. talk about striking out!

3. 24/7 vending machine: back in 2021, jacquemus created an experimental pop-up called "jacquemus 24/24" in paris. this all-pink mini shop was styled like a giant vending machine that stayed open 24 hours a day for a long weekend. it sold exclusive pink merchandise from the "PINK 2" collection through actual vending machines, allowing shoppers to snag neon-pink bambino bags & quirky items like artichoke hats at 3am.

4. summer lovin’ pop-ups: jacquemus has a thing for sunny, escapist experiences. in addition to permanent stores, the brand loves a good seasonal fling – er, pop-up. 🌴 in past summers, they’ve set up shop in vacation hotspots like st. tropez. this summer, they’re going to even more including st tropez, capri, monaco, mykonos, ibiza, & seoul. expect lots of linen, sun umbrellas, and that laid-back “just off the yacht” energy.

5. runway realness: we can’t talk jacquemus without mentioning his iconic runway shows, which are marketing events in their own right. especially, the lavender field catwalk in provence and the château de versailles show. flying guests (& celebs) out to picturesque locations, with collections inspired by art and fantasy, has become a Jacquemus signature.

6. going bananas: their latest tongue-in-cheek campaign features jon gries (greg from white lotus) & lots of bananas. timed perfectly to launch with all the buzz from that season finale. includes the actor driving banana yellow cars, proclaiming his love for bananas, & even getting a banana hole in one 😏 

the jacquemus lessons

here's why jacquemus fascinates me: they're proving that investing in joy during challenging times isn't just good karma, it's good business. while competitors retreat to safe, cost-cutting strategies, jacquemus is expanding both physically & emotionally.

the jacquemus playbook for retail success:

1. invest when others pull back: research from harvard business review found that 80% of companies that cut marketing costs during recessions hadn't regained their pre-recession performance three years later. jacquemus shows how to take the opposite approach.

2. emotion trumps transactions: jacquemus creates events and spaces that prioritize feelings over immediate sales. emotional campaigns consistently outperform rational ones on all important effectiveness metrics, extra true for advertising investments. this transcends economic cycles.

3. compete on brand, not price: when economic pressures mount, many retailers resort to discounting, a dangerous race to the bottom. jacquemus is reinforcing its brand value instead, which research shows allows companies to maintain pricing power even in challenging markets.

if there's one thing to learn from jacquemus, it's that doubling down on joyful experiences creates resilience.

professionally AND personally.

while their colorful markets, bowling alleys, & vibrant stores might seem frivolous, they're actually strategic investments in future demand. if retail follows jacquemus' lead, we might all find a little more sunshine in our shopping experiences, feeds, & maybe even or life.

jacquemus might just be the king of merrymaking.