The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT will honor Simon Porte Jacquemus, founder and designer at the fashion house Jacquemus with its 2024 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion.
The annual luncheon takes place on Sept. 4 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. The event heralds the arrival of New York Fashion Week, with proceeds benefiting The Museum at FIT, the only museum in New York dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion.
Couture Council board of director members Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, founding editor in chief of Vogue Arabia and founder of D’NA, and Sarah Wetenhall, president and owner of The Colony Palm Beach, will serve as co-chairs. For the fifth consecutive year, Nordstrom is the presenting sponsor.
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Jacquemus was born in the South of France and is now based in Paris. He established his eponymous brand in 2009 at the age of 19 with no formal training, dedicating the brand to his late mother. His ready-to-wear and accessories are inspired by his passion for art and the decorative arts, and his collections for women and men reference French culture and universal gestures of beauty from fine art, photography, painting and sculpture. The designer is known for his provocative approach to fashion shows and theatrical runway productions that have taken place in unexpected locations such as a Parisian swimming pool or inside the Musee Picasso, winding through a lavender field in Provence or a wheat field outside of Paris.
The designer, who’s known for his sensual Mediterranean aesthetic drenched in vibrant color, told WWD in January, “We are pop luxury.” In fact, his spring 2024 show, held at the Fondation Maeght, an art foundation in the hilltop village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the South of France, stirred together many of his signature ingredients: a cinematic location and a host of celebrity guests, led by Julia Roberts.
Jacquemus has also ignited a global craze for micro bags with his bestselling Chiquito handbag, including a miniature version that fits into the palm of one hand.
Jacquemus was the recipient of the 2014 LVMH Prize finalist, the 2015 LVMH Special Jury Prize, 2024 Neiman Marcus Fashion Innovation Award, and in March, was decorated as Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Letres), the highest French ministerial award for cultural achievement, and at 34 years old, made him the youngest fashion designer to ever receive this honor.
“I am really happy to receive the 2024 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion supported by Nordstrom, it’s beautiful recognition for the brand and my team,” Jacquemus said. “As an independent designer, I was always keen on being innovative and creative in the design of my collections and also in my communication. It’s always about communicating and creating experiences with our community in unique way. I warmly thank the Couture Council of the Museum of FIT and Nordstrom for this great support and this award.”
Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT, said, “A bold creative force in the industry who started his brand at the age of 20, Simone Porte Jacquemus is also a role model for our students who look up to him as both an entrepreneur and a designer. Following the Couture Council luncheon, we look forward to welcoming him to the FIT campus, where he can discuss his extraordinary career with our students.”
Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, said, “The Museum at FIT is delighted to honor Simon Porte Jacquemus, the visionary young designer whose fashions are as sunny and beautiful as his native region in the South of France. His love of art and natural beauty come through in all his work.”
Gigi Ganatra Duff, vice president of PR and corporate affairs at Nordstrom, and a member of the FIT Foundation Board of Trustees, added, “Nordstrom is proud to support the Couture Council Luncheon benefiting The Museum at FIT for the fifth consecutive year. It’s always an honor to celebrate the fusion of innovation and artistry within the fashion industry at this esteemed event, which kicks off New York Fashion Week. This year we are particularly excited to recognize the visionary talent of designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, whose work embodies the bold spirit and creative excellence that The Museum at FIT and the Couture Council so passionately champion.”
Previous recipients of the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion are Gabriela Hearst, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior, Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera, Christian Louboutin, Narciso Rodriguez, Thom Browne, Albert Kriemler of Akris, Manolo Blahnik, Carolina Herrera, FIT alumnus Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Isabel Toledo, Alber Elbaz and FIT graduate Ralph Rucci. In 2008, Giorgio Armani received a special award for Global Fashion Leadership.
