But why, with a palace at your disposal, show outside? “It was important for me to not arrive in Versailles with bad taste,” said Jacquemus. “That’s why we’re also a bit far from the castle and in the green. It’s also very Jacquemus to be in the landscape instead of being in the gold.” This served him well. Rather than shoehorning his brand into Versailles, he borrowed the elements of the place that coexist with his point of view, including references to one of its well-known residents, Marie Antoinette. In his most design-driven collection of late, there were elements of the famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) queen’s love for theatrics and ballet, the utilitarian language Jacquemus often references, and, oddly fittingly, nods to Princess Diana.

Lady Di inspired the ’80s shapes of puffy and ruched silhouettes, a polka-dot dress, and the “big rounded sleeves that,” he promised, “will become a signature of Jacquemus.” There were also tutus worn as is or as petticoats or mini crinolines. (A shout-out to Vivienne Westwood here is compulsory.) From the ballet came the collection’s flat mules and rose-print tights.

Scrunched-up silhouettes were the show’s common denominator and gave the collection its name: Le Chouchou. “Everything was looking like a big chouchou,” or hair scrunchie, Jacquemus said, “and I think it’s nice to have something super precise that people remember. They can know that it is the Chouchou collection and remember the castle and the puffiness.” He gets an A-plus for merchandising.

Most compelling, however, was the designer’s inventive tailoring, which at times felt like a callback to his earlier collections (even if the fit here was a bit of an issue). There were the backless blazers like the one he debuted at The Met earlier this year on Bad Bunny, here with cutouts that exposed tutus; a variety of jackets cut and cinched at the waist to friskily accommodate the mini crinolines; and others with one sleeve detached and gathered at the top. Also fun were tutus converted into micro shorts and presented as puffy boxers peeking out of men’s trousers—this was Jacquemus at his most sincere, offering a playful interpretation of royal dressing.

But to his credit, the designer didn’t fall back on Versailles-ready costumes. There were no panniers, and cage crinolines were reinterpreted in the shape of airy tie-around tops and dresses. While the hodgepodge of references was at times overwhelming, Jacquemus has an eye for translating and propelling online fads. It won’t be surprising to see Versailles-core trending on TikTok after this show, together with the existing balletcore.

Paris this week was a battle of the titans. In an industry where bigger and louder is better and where it is often more about how and where clothes are shown than the clothes themselves, Jacquemus keeps setting his own bar higher. “There’s always a next story to tell,” he said. “It’s not always bigger and bigger and stronger and stronger. It’s [only] something else.” Jacquemus is a French creative with an American eye for business. Today was a display of the synergy—rather than a tussle—between these often contradictory mindsets. There was no Battle at Versailles this time around, just a victory lap for Jacquemus—one all of his own making.