Marc Jacobs, the extravagant godfather of fashion

“I never thought about such things: this is the height of luxury” Persuaded Karl Lagerfeld to appear on a TV show in 2015. this “something like that” ? Pension. And, in fact, the designer was undaunted, presenting his last show for the house of Chanel in 2019, at the age of 85, just a month before his illness. Whether like Lagerfeld, they’re working their way up or forced by financiers eager for new blood, few designers are taking voluntary retirement.

On March 19, the public was greeted with sincere surprise by the announcement of the departure of the Belgian Dries van Noten at the age of 65, leaving to others the preservation of his legacy and his home. Already last year was surprised by the farewell of the American Tom Ford, who retired in Palm Beach at the age of 62. But there’s a creator of their generation who doesn’t seem to want to think about it “something like that” : Marc Jacobs, who celebrates his 61st birthday on April 9. “I want to continue working and improving” He assures us, on a sunny March afternoon, from the very wealthy small town of Rye, on the East River in New York State, to his home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

His show on February 2 at the Park Avenue Armory, a neo-Gothic building in New York City, proved to those who doubted that inspiration has not left the man who has worked in fashion for four decades. Fifty-seven figures were represented in flamboyant wigs, blackened and glittering eyes, somewhere between a Broadway heroine and a sassy housewife. The wardrobe, with its exaggerated shapes, suggested that the models were small dolls.

This half-dream, half-reality impression was enhanced by scenography. The models looked tiny next to the disproportionately sized tables and chairs by American artist Robert Therrien. “When everything was in place, we clearly saw that Mark was overcome with excitement: his eyes began to close, says Alastair McKim, former editor-in-chief of the magazine ID and a stylist who has been advising him since 2021. For him, the collection remains a show, entertainment. And the ultimate goal is to create a unique atmosphere for ten minutes that you will never forget. » Goal accomplished: the fashion press applauded merrily.

One of the most famous acting creators

Artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s women’s collections from 1997 to 2013, where he invented ready-to-wear at the trunk maker that still bears his name at the helm of the brand and whose majority shareholder, LVMH, is American Marc. Jacobs is one of the most famous designers in the world. The one whose trajectory concentrates on the main transformations of the fashion sector, such as the formation of large luxury groups at the turn of the millennium, the role of celebrities in communication or even connections with contemporary art… However, it is less situated. in the reactor core than in the past.