Marc Jacobs

We can always count on Marc Jacobs to end New York Fashion Week in a unique way. For the fall-winter 2018 season, the American designer lived up to his reputation. He chose to present his collection at the Park Avenue Armory in a minimalist setting: a barely lit runway, where the models had room to walk one by one.

The strongest image of this parade? An 80's and XXL silhouette that stands out in the dark. Inspired by the extravagant fashion of the 80s, Marc Jacobs chose to wrap the models’ heads and necks in large stoles that either fall on their shoulders or are folded up to form giant flowers. Broad-brimmed hats cover part of their faces adding some mystery. Under the coats: epaulettes, leather skirts or panties, chunky knit sweaters, but above all, a lot of accessories: fanny packs, mini bags worn as necklaces or held in the arm, flashy jewelry… Rich materials, pop colors and couture cuts. What else?

The Marc Jacobs Inc. adventure began in 1986. Marc Jacobs launched his first ready-to-wear collection with the help of his friend and business partner Robert Duffy. The American designer demonstrated his talent and quickly became successful. So successful that eleven years later, the LVMH group bought the label. Shortly after, the brand expanded its activities and launched the diffusion line, Marc by Marc Jacobs, in 2001. Cosmetics were also part of this expansion. The same year, the American designer launched his first perfume, Marc Jacobs for Women. However, the label really became famous for its perfumes in 2007 with Marc Jacobs Daisy, which was re-edited in several versions the following years. In 2013, Marc Jacobs created Marc Jacobs Beauty, a line of makeup products that quickly became very popular.

Marc Jacobs was born in New York in 1963 and started in fashion at a very young age. When he was only 15, he worked at Charivari, where he met Perry Ellis, who would become an important guide in his career. He studied at the Parsons School of Design and was noticed for his graduation collection, based on grunge sweatshirts. He won a prize and first recognition from his peers for his designs: Charivari produced the pieces and distributed them widely. So when he founded his own company with his friend Robert Duffy in 1986, Marc Jacobs was not at his debuts. Three years later, in 1989, the brand Perry Ellis asked him to supervise their women’s ready-to-wear collections. A mission that the creator accepted until 1992, when he presented a grunge collection, which earned him to be dismissed a few months later. Four years later, the LVMH group invested in his eponymous brand and offered him the Creative Director position at Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs stayed for sixteen years and transformed the trunk maker into a trendy ready-to-wear brand. He left Louis Vuitton at the end of 2013 and now spends time in his home in New York.