The influence of Marc Jacobs in the fashion industry

Since the beginning of his journey in fashion in the 90s, the iconic designer has been a leading figure in defining trends and continues to place himself at the center of the cultural zeitgeist. A pioneer from the start, he possesses the incredible skill of anticipating what the next big thing will be. More than predicting trends, he created them. His relationships with artists, models, and singers changed the way collections are made and leveraged.

THE BEGINNING

Born in New York, Marc gets his first job at 13, as a stockboy. There, he meets his mentor Perry Ellis - future employer and inspiration in fashion - who advises him to enroll at the Parsons School of Design in 1981. He receives the ‘Student Designer of the Year’ award from Parsons as well as the ‘Chester Weingberg’ and ‘Perry Ellis Gold Thimble’ awards.

In 1988, he is hired as vice president of the women's fashion division at Perry Ellis, where he gained recognition for his then-revolutionary “grunge” collection, which cost him his job.

THE CONTROVERSIAL COLLECTION FOR THE 90S

After 4 years at Perry Ellis “politely” as a designer, it is with his Spring/Summer fashion show that Jacobs pays tribute to the grunge scene in Seattle with the iconic collection, which was presented on November 3, 1992. It was a decisive and triumphant moment - Christy Turlington opened the show while Kristen McMenamy and Kate Moss closed it with matching beanies and layers of sweaters and plaid in pastel tones.

"This is what pretty girls look like today. They seem a bit indifferent to fashion."

Women’s Wear Daily hailed Marc Jacobs as the “grunge guru,” but the executives at Perry Ellis did not understand the concept - shortly after receiving the CFDA Designer of the Year award in January 1993, Jacobs was fired by Perry Ellis and the production of the collection was canceled.

"There was so much more to it than just making plaid shirts and flowing silk dresses," Jacobs said in 2011. "It wasn't about that. It was about a sensibility and also about discarding everything they told you was beautiful, right, glamorous, sexy. I loved that it represented something new. I think that’s how people dress now. I think that moment hasn't passed. It transformed into different things, but it really hasn't passed."

CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF LOUIS VUITTON

Since 1984, Jacobs had already established his brand with Duffy - who had his own line just a year later. But it was in 1997 that the turning point in his life happened: Marc was appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton, a reign that lasted for 16 years. He not only introduced the first ready-to-wear line of the house but also perfectly fused art with fashion.

He collaborated with numerous artists such as Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, and Richard Prince on accessories that are highly sought after even to this day.

KING OF COLLABORATIONS

“Marc Jacobs is the person who opened Paris to the streets.” The reminder in a caption from Ibn Jasper shows how Marc has always been the most prolific artistic director of LV. He established himself as an unconventional cultural innovator for the time.

Jacobs managed to intertwine street culture, rap, and art undeniably well, making collaborations a commonplace - felt and done to this day. Twenty years ago, the way rap expressed itself was in its appearances - whether in shows or in music videos. It was the way to be recognized as extravagant, understanding this language and fueling it.

One of the main pioneers welcoming rappers and pop culture leaders into the fashion world. He built a bridge that brought the symbiotic relationship between street credibility and rap and fashion. The friendship between Kanye and Marc is a good example of this. For years, Ye referred to himself as “Don Louis Vuitton” and walked around with his Louis Vuitton backpack. The circle closed a few years later when Kanye had the chance to work alongside Jacobs, creating the Kanye West x Louis Vuitton Don “Multi,” “Mr Hudson,” and “Jasper” sneakers.

The same happened with Pharrell. In 2007, he and Nigo were called by Marc to design the iconic Louis Vuitton sunglasses, the “Millionaire.” They became an essential item well nurtured by Pharrell for many years. And we are not stoping there, years later, Virgil relaunched the Millionaire line during his debut as the creative director menswear at Louis Vuitton.

HIS INFLUENCE

His unshakeable relationship with evolving generations has blessed him with an innate ability to communicate to people what they want to wear and how to wear it. His influence on his contemporaries and successors inspired generations of fashion that permeate history. Ensuring his longevity in fashion with a new perspective on the past, his unyielding use of fabric and color, and his intuition in fashion will always shock and impress the fashion industry.

The relationship with significant personalities from each generation transcended the novelty of runways and jumped into the world of conceptual high fashion. His collections ranged from grunge to boho to New York chic and his eclectic ability to connect with the audience has had a lasting impact on the fashion industry.