"Your entire life is a fashion show, and the world is your runway."
-Marc Jacobs
(Care)free youth
Marc Jacobs was born in America's fashion capital on the east coast - New York, in 1963. As a young boy, he often changed his place of residence due to his mother's constant changes of partners. Eventually, as a teenager, he moved in with his grandmother, who forever remained in his heart as the foundation of familial warmth and a rock on which he built his deepest dreams.
Jacobs recalls his childhood with his grandmother as a time of self-discovery on his own terms. "I was never told that I couldn't do something (...) I was never told that I couldn't become a fashion designer... I wasn't told that as a boy I can't have long hair... I wasn't told that I can't go out all night because I'm only 15, and 15-year-old boys don't go to nightclubs. Nobody ever told me that being gay or straight is wrong."
Parsons' Top Student
Marc, despite the freedom his grandmother gave him to explore the world and his ideas, focused strongly on developing his career as a fashion designer. At the age of 15, he attended a high school for artists and future designers. It was there that he learned the secrets of the fashion industry, working part-time at the Charivari boutique.
In 1981, Jacobs graduated from high school and began studying at one of the most prestigious universities for designers, Parsons School of Design. Throughout his studies, young Marc was a favorite of the teachers - no wonder that in his final year he was awarded three of the most important titles bestowed in Parsons: Design Student of the Year, Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award, and Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award.
Success Knitted Together
His graduate collection of Op-Art sweaters caught the attention of the industry. From that point on, Marc was on a fast track, heading toward the peak of fashion success. Shortly after graduation, his sweater collection caught the eye of Barbara Weiser, owner of Charivari, who helped him create his first brand signed with his name: Marc Jacobs for Marc and Barbara.
His sweater collection also caught the attention of Robert Duffy, who helped Jacobs sell his designs to the Sketchbook brand. Since then, Duffy and Jacobs have formed a business duo, which in 1986 resulted in the first collection of the designer under the brand Marc Jacobs.
Jacobs Enchants CFDA
In 1987, Jacobs became the youngest fashion designer in history to be honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with the Perry Ellis Award for new fashion talent.
Soon after, the designer began working for Perry Ellis, whose board recognized his talent already in Parsons. In 1992, Jacobs received another CFDA award, this time in the category Designer of the Year for Women's Clothing.
Although it seemed that nothing could interrupt his uninterrupted streak of success, in 1993 Perry Ellis decided to part ways with Jacobs forever. The reason was an innovative grunge collection for women, which led to a commercial crisis in the company. Interestingly, the groundbreaking collection was a true revelation for critics, who appreciated his unique style and creativity in deviating from the beaten paths of trends set by the industry. This visionary move by Jacobs made him once again honored with the title of Designer of the Year in the women's category by the CFDA.
The council awarded him nine more times. In total, he has: 5 awards for the best designer in the women's fashion category, 4 awards in the accessories category, 1 in the men's fashion category, and in 2011 he was honored with the prestigious Geoffrey Beene award for the entirety of his work.
Jacobs and Duffy once again took up the challenge of creating a collection signed with the designer's own surname. In 1994, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell walked at the Marc Jacobs International Company show.
Troubles in Paradise
The next stage in Jacobs' life was taking over the position of Creative Director at the fashion house Louis Vuitton in 1997 and introducing the first ready-to-wear collection.
The designer was faced with a considerable challenge - his aim was to transform the brand and steer its collections towards a significantly younger consumer. Over a decade of working for LV, Jacobs quadrupled the company's profits, making it a giant in the fashion world. At the same time, Jacobs did not stop working on his own projects, creating a second clothing line under the brand Marc by Marc Jacobs in 2001.
Unfortunately, Jacobs' streak of successes led him to the brink of the abyss in his private life. By the end of the 90s, the designer lost control over his carefree life, indulging in substances like cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Thanks to the help of friends and the support of his loved ones, he was able to overcome his addiction and stay on top of the fashion empire.
In 2013, Jacobs announced the end of his collaboration with Louis Vuitton, continuing his career under the brand signed with his own name. His shows have been attracting the cream of society for years, and his front rows are filled with familiar faces from magazine covers.
What is Marc Jacobs' style like?
And how to recognize Marc Jacobs' style? "My clothes are never sexy! Never! Never!". He places restraint in accentuating the female silhouette in his collections. He has often been described as a designer who set the direction for the development of street fashion. His style is defined as a mix of grunge, preppie, and haute couture.
Furthermore, Jacobs approaches fashion with great humility, dispelling the illusion that every silhouette created by a designer is a new reinvention of the wheel. He talks about his style as a feeling of comfort in composition, understood as predictability and familiarity of form. He avoids irregular shapes and asymmetry because, although they may be interesting for some, they do not give him a sense of fulfillment.
