The Jaguar XE, star of original fashion show by Jean-Paul Lespagnard
Belgian designer includes personalised Jaguar XE in ‘Cheese on Fleek’ parade during Paris fashion week - #FEELXE
Friday, March 6, 2015
- On 8 March award-winning Belgian fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard[i] presented his latest ‘Cheese on Flake’ collection in Paris.
- Inspired by an encounter he had in Monterrey, Mexico, the collection ‘Cheese on Fleek’ reflects how different traditions can flow together into an eclectic colourful unity.
- An Acid Green Jaguar XE played a crucial role in the staging of the storyline. The bright colour also reflects one of the main colours in the collection.
- As a designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard focuses on survival by transition – he dismantles traditions down to their core and combines or creates a new exterior to immortalize its core values.
- Jean-Paul was attracted by the mythical character of the Jaguar brand that has gone through several transitions before becoming the present forward thinking challenger brand.
- With this project Jean-Paul joins the select club of inspiring personalities that Jaguar has asked to be ambassadors for the new Jaguar XE.
- Jean-Paul Lespagnard’s fashion show was held at the Musee Nissim de Camondo in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
Intriguing fashion show attracts attention of international press
Last night during Paris fashion week, the Belgian fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard presented his collection entitled ‘Cheese on Fleek’. The models paraded in a non-conventional way with the show offering a sort of compromise between a fashion show, a presentation and an installation. The central eye catcher in the scenoghrapy wasn’t very traditional either – a brand new Jaguar XE that was dressed especially by Jean-Paul Lespagnard in the predominant collection colour – Acid Green.
The story behind Lespagnard’s latest ‘Cheese on Fleek’ collection reads like pure poetry: “A young girl lives a secluded life in the Mexican countryside as a Mennonite, a pacifist religious movement. The only time that she goes to the city of Monterrey, is to sell the cheese that her family produces. During one of her trips, at a crossroads, she meets a Cholombianos gang, a local subculture characterised by a specific dress code, a very eccentric hairstyle and a fascination for the popular rhythmic South-American Cumbia music. Together they decide to set up a gang of cheese dealers which gives rise to an organic clothing mix. The elegant cut of the country dress is dismantled and they show a loose cut in order to correspond better to the busy city life.”
In the collection we find familiar fabrics such as cotton, silk and wool, but also more technical fabrics with structured reliefs and vibrant, energetic motifs. The association between the two contrasting subcultures and their clothing traditions results in a tension of its own where colours vibrate between severity and rebellion – the true spirit of the Jaguar XE according to Jean-Paul Lespagnard.
Jean-Paul Lespagnard as a Jaguar XE Forward Thinker
Within the context of an international FEEL XE campaign with ambassadors from fields such as music, film, design and business, Jean-Paul Lespagnard seized the opportunity to work with the classic “Jaguar Racing Green” body colour, which he updated to a more striking contemporary shade.
He explains this enthusiastically: “I give myself completely in all my collections and only choose those projects that really appeal to me. When Jaguar proposed I become an ambassador for the new Jaguar XE, there were no doubts in my mind. The history of Jaguar takes on almost mythical proportions for me – in my view it is the perfect example of classicism with a modern twist – an intense driving experience, seductive design and a rich history in the background.”
He goes on: “When I explored the basic values of the Jaguar brand more in depth, I understood how through the years, the brand strived to seek balance between typical British traditional values and the desire to innovate. I have interpreted this tension in my own personal somewhat extravagant way, developing a new, contemporary variation on the “Jaguar Green”. Thanks to this transition I give the tradition a new impetus to prepare it for the future. The new Acid Green Jaguar XE is an excellent way for me to experience the ultimate driving experience. My personalised version embodies Exhilaration, an intense moment of excitement and joy, both within the collection and in the streets.”
Unique natural integration in fashion collection
Isabelle Michiels, PR Manager at Jaguar Land Rover Belux, is on cloud nine: “We are very proud of this unique integration of the Jaguar XE within the collection of one of the most promising Belgian designers of the moment! From the very start of the project, Jean-Paul was completely fascinated about how we at Jaguar have managed to combine our rich heritage with a forward-looking vision creating this new model. During the unveiling of the Jaguar XE in London last September via a journey through time we saw how Jaguar drew on its past to prepare the Jaguar XE for the future. The new vision that Jean-Paul Lespagnard has created, is simply beautiful. The story behind this collection is so inspiring; it embodies the concept of FEEL XE perfectly.”
International FEEL XE campaign
Last September Jaguar launched the worldwide FEEL XE launch campaign concentrating on the new Jaguar XE modelii. The XE is a sports sedan that stands out in its class thanks to its sophisticated design and innovations of an unequalled level that offer ground-breaking handling, road handling and performance. Jean-Paul Lespagnard was asked together with Idris Elba, Stella McCartney and Emeli Sandé to be a Forward Thinker, because they bring innovation into their field of work and break with fixed traditions in their search for Exhilaration – an intense moment of excitement and joy. Later this year Yuri Vandenbogaerde and Dries Henau, the entrepreneur duo behind Wasbar, will present their own project within this ambassadors’ campaign. The Jaguar XE is available from 11 June 2015, with prices starting at € 34,990.
[i] Jean-Paul Lespagnard is a Belgian fashion designer originating from Liège. In 2008 he won both the first prize and the public prize at the Hyères’ Fashion & Photography Festival. With his avant-garde creations, he knows how to surprise the fashion world, receiving praise from the likes of Suzy Menkes and Lele Acquarone. He regularly supplies the costumes for theatre and singing productions, including for the American choreographer Meg Stuart and the French singer Yelle. In 2014 he was nominated for the Woolmark Prize and the Andam Fashion Award Paris and for 3 months he held a very successful exhibition in the prestigious Galeries Lafayette in Paris with over 20,000 visitors.
[ii] The Jaguar XE will be available for sale in Belgium starting in June. This forward thinking car uses Jaguar’s new aluminium architecture and is equipped with the brand-new Ingenium engines from the British brand. In combination with the knowhow of Jaguar in the field of aluminium, this results in exceptionally low figures for fuel consumption and emissions. With the new Ingenium diesel engine the XE consumption is 3.8 l/100 km and it has a CO2 emission of 99 g/km, which makes it the most efficient Jaguar ever. The XE therefore immediately offers the best credentials in its class.
