Marc Jacobs official. Marc Jacobs - biography and personal life. Biography of Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American designer of clothes and accessories, whose work is familiar to every corner of the world. The founder of his own brand is not afraid of bold experiments. The designer is compared to Tsar Midas: no matter what detail of the wardrobe Mark's imagination gives birth to, every fashionista immediately wants to get it.
Childhood and youth
The famous couturier, the son of a Jewish large family, was born on April 9, 1963 in New York. Parents worked as agents at the theater. When the boy was seven years old, his father died, and the carefree, happy childhood ended. Mom started looking for a new husband, changing spouses like gloves, in a short time managed to go down the aisle three times.
Mark, along with his brother and sister, were out of work. Already in adulthood, the fashion designer said in an interview that, in addition to the unhealthy desire to find personal happiness, the parent suffered from a mental disorder.
After suffering in the parental home, the teenager went to live with his paternal grandmother, who occupied a luxurious apartment in the Majestic skyscraper. It was she who laid the foundation creative biography Marc Jacobs: his grandmother instilled in the boy a taste for chic but practical things, taught him to hold knitting needles in his hands, creating exclusive knitted clothes.
Mark graduated from mathematics school, and at 15 he joined the ranks of students High school arts and design. To get a closer look at fashion trends, the young man worked at the same time in the avant-garde clothing boutique "Charivari". Here, a fateful meeting happened - Jacobs began talking to Perry Ellis, the legendary designer. At that moment, Mark finally understood that he would connect life with fashion, he would create beautiful clothes with his own hands.
Fashion
Mark started to show great promise in the fashion industry while still a student. In 1984, the young man won the Golden Thimble Award from Chester Weinberg and Ellis, and was soon named the best designer of the year among students. At the same time, Jacobs decided to try his hand at creating his own collection, presenting hand-knitted sweaters to fashionistas. An aspiring fashion designer's "Pen Test" was released under the "The Sketchbook label" and received critical acclaim.
His career was rapidly gaining speed. After the death of his idol and mentor Perry Ellis, the young couturier was invited to lead the design team at Perry Ellis, and here he really turned around, being able to loudly declare himself to the world. The grunge clothing collection created for this brand has made Mark famous.
Jacobs felt cramped within the Perry Ellis house, and the young man had enough energy for other projects. The designer has joined forces with fashion designer Robert Duffy - the couple has brought to the world a new clothing company, Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc.
The collection under its own name "Marc Jacobs label", which brought the man incredible success in the late 80s, helped to climb the fashionable Olympus with triumph. The brand was even awarded the Council of American Fashion Designers award - he became the youngest designer to receive this award. In 1989, Jacobs and Duffy began dressing ladies, taking leadership positions at Tristan Russo, a company that specialized in creating women's collections.
And five years later, Mark delighted men with fashionable novelties by presenting them with a separate clothing line. However, for the first time, the designer was accused of plagiarism - in this vintage collection Oscar de la Renta saw an imitation of his own early work. However, fashion critics shattered the suspicions of the bison design, pointing out that Jacobs does not copy, but successfully interprets the details.
The acquaintance with the owner of LVMH Bernard Arnault, who offered Mark the chair of director and chief designer of the French company "Louis Vuitton", helped Mark to rise one step further in his career. The couturier happily agreed, plunging into creativity.
When creating collections of bags, the master collaborated with artists Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and even a rapper. The profit of the fashion house "Louis Vuitton" grew rapidly, already in the first year of Jacobs's work increased threefold. Mark's significant achievement as a bag designer was the “Marc Jacobs Stam bag”, designed specifically for the Canadian fashion model and fashion model Jessica Stam.
During the years of cooperation with Louis Vuitton, the fashion designer continued to pore over new clothing collections and more. By 2006, he already owned 60 boutiques, released several fragrances of perfumes, glasses, shoes and one line of watches under his brand. The designer's ideas were sometimes in the form of shares. So, twice, Mark created a series of T-shirts, which adorned naked media figures - in support of the fight against melanoma.
The talented couturier was happy to receive orders from a movie and television star. Clients include Christy Turlington, and others. Jacobs made costumes for the Parisian ballet "Amoveo".
Not without scandals on the creative path of Marc Jacobs. In 2008, the fashion designer had to be responsible for the scarf, the design of which was spied on by the Swede, the star of the catwalks of the 50s, Gost Olofsson. Plagiarism was discovered by accident - one American reporter, leafing through old magazines, saw that Jacobs's creation was an exact copy of the Swedish designer's scarf. The American couturier had to pay compensation to Olofsson's relatives.
Then another scandal ensued: journalists learned that instead of faux fur adorning the clothes of the designer, they used the wool of a Chinese raccoon dog. In 2013, Mark left Louis Vuitton, directing all his strength and opportunities to develop his brands.
Personal life
The designer does not hide his personal life, on the contrary, he advertises in every possible way. Mark is a homosexual who fiercely fights for the rights of members of sexual minorities. Including through a craft: in 2009, a man created a line of T-shirts to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in America. In the same spring, the fashion designer openly married a lover named Lorenzo Marton.
However, the union turned out to be fragile - it broke up a year later. Then Jacobs was seen in connection with a certain Harry Louis, but the relationship did not reach the altar.
Jacobs has a passion for alcohol and cocaine. In the early 2000s, he even had to go to the clinic for rehabilitation - Mark fainted at work, had a row with his subordinates.
The fashion designer's clothing style preferences have changed over the years. At first, Marc Jacobs looked a little like a fashion couturier, wearing wide-leg pants and oversized shirts in an attempt to hide his excess weight. But in 2006 he hit the sport, the figure turned into an athletic one, a scattering of tattoos appeared on the body, and an earring with a diamond in the ear. Mark experiments with fashion, often wears skirts and dresses to go out.
Marc Jacobs now
Now the company "Marc Jacobs" includes three areas - the youth brand "Marc by Marc Jacobs", the children's brand "Little Marc" and the ready-to-wear line "The Marc Jacobs Collection". The brand has an official website where you can order any fashion news. The House of Fashion and Perfumery "Marc Jacobs" also has a chain of stores with fragrances, accessories and beauty services.
Mark remains an extremely prolific designer, although critics have recently accused the couturier of a return to early creativity and an excessive theatricality of collections, clothes from which can hardly be worn in everyday life.
At the beginning of 2018, the press started talking about the instability of the American designer's business; his stores began to close everywhere. However, Jacobs does not stop participating in fashion shows... The fall-winter collection is replete with bows, leather, large and small details, it is distinguished by a wide shoulder line and volumes. For spring and summer, the artist offered bright boas, turbans, light African robes and dresses in the style of Hollywood retro-chic.
Condition assessment
Until 2014, retail sales of the Marc Jacobs company brought the owner $ 650 million, but the economic crisis has made adjustments, and today revenues have dropped to $ 300 million.
His father died early, when Mark was only seven years old. And the mother kept trying to arrange her personal life. She got married again and again, and every change in her personal life led to a change of place of residence. Mark often felt lonely. Finally, his place of residence settled on an old mansion in Manhattan, where he began to live with his grandmother. Mark recalls her to this day as the closest "person who had the strongest influence on his life."
Grandmother loved to sit in front of the TV with knitting in her hands. And she taught her grandson, Mark, to use knitting needles so that, while still a schoolboy, Mark began to earn a living with his needlework. She instilled in him a taste for beautiful things. And at the age of 15, he already came up with models, which will then be transferred to his future collections. Mark worked at the Charivari boutique where he was tasked with knitting pullovers. His work was in great demand. Even then, the fame of a talented designer was fixed for him.
When Mark graduated from high school, the question of choosing a profession was not, he continued his education at the Graduate School of Art and Design in New York. Then, upon graduation, he continued his education c.
Mark's abilities were already recognized then with the Gold Thimble Award for emerging designers for a collection of hand-knitted sweaters. In the same 1984, Mark received the title of "Student of the Year". At the end of the School, he had many invented sketches for Ruben Thomas, in which he recreated the outfits from the movie "Amadeus".
Upon graduation, Mark met with Robert Duffy, who became his business partner. Duffy has long been looking for a creative partner. And when he met Jacobs, he immediately appreciated his abilities literally at first sight. For Mark, he became a close friend and replaced his father. And everyone immediately started talking about Jacobs Duffy Designs. Many admirers have appeared among fashionistas and fashionistas.
In 1986 he released a trial collection under his label. And the very next year he received the Perry Ellis Award in the category "New Talent" from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Jacobs and Duffy's fame grew. Soon they were invited to work at the Perry Ellis Fashion House. When the founder of the brand dies, management decides to choose Mark as creative director and Robert as president. Then Mark was about 25 years old, and he had such a powerful fashion corporation in his hands. Apparently, such an unexpected and quick take-off was a great test for him. Despite his early achievements and talents, he often felt insecure. And it was precisely this uncertainty that he began to extinguish with shock doses of alcohol. However, he realized that creating illusions for himself with the help of alcohol is a path to nowhere. Mark managed to overcome himself and overcome the addiction.
He became more and more devoted to his work, and soon achieved success.
Marc Jacobs refined the basic design features of the Perry Ellis. The collection had warm autumn colors: pumpkin, plum, ocher, beige, rust color. And in the fall of 1991, Marc Jacobs refreshed the palette - the collection included a grape-colored coat, a tangerine coat, a chocolate cardigan, and a toffee-colored sweater. The material is wool, cashmere, mohair, angora. These luxurious materials gave the clothes a special chic.
During his tenure as Creative Director of Perry Ellis, Mark has drawn on the experience of other designers, especially from the past decades. But at the same time he always presented different themes and classical motives in his own way, in a new way. He interpreted in such a sophisticated way that his designs could match the classics.
Marc Jacobs is a legend in the fashion industry, he has an extraordinary talent for embodying individuality in his models. They combine romance and sophistication with confidence and complacency.
When Mark was thirty years old, he decided to work under his own label. In 1993, he introduced the grunge style for the first time he developed. For some, it was a shocking fashion. But that is then. And now many designers use this style. In his collection, silk dresses were presented in combination with heavy men's boots. The entire Jacobs collection was instantly sold to New York City stores. The audience was jubilant, the press was delighted, and the shareholders of Perry Ellis could not accept the extravagant designer. Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy were fired.
Mark continued to work on his own style. And the following year, the Marc Jacobs 'Shooting Stars' collection appeared: gold skirts, trousers with bright flashy tops, tweed jackets with hoods, T-shirts with sheepskin sleeves. Beloved by the American public and designers, the sporty style in casual wear has become sporty chic for Mark. Simple items were made from luxurious fabrics.
Marc Jacobs Fall / Winter 2001 collection
Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton
Mark doesn't stop there. He leaves for Italy to find new images there. At first he works for Iceberg, and his partner is in talks with. Marc Jacobs is offered the role of creative director of Louis Vuitton, which is part of the LVMH concern. The concern led by Bernard Arnault guarantees support marc brands Jacobs. The Marc Jacobs brand store on Mercer Street opens soon.
Louis Vuitton - Spring / Summer 2001
Mark is preparing his first ready-to-wear collection for Louis Vuitton, in which original knee-length and ankle-length skirts, double-breasted satin coats, striped pantsuits. The logo for Louis Vuitton is also designed by Mark. Embossed patent leather bags, trench coats and raincoats, covered with miniature Louis Vuitton logos, appeared. By adorning both bags and fabrics with Louis Vuitton logos, Mark initiated a boom in logomania.
And in 2000, Jacobs offers beaded embroidery on trousers made of light wool, lace prints in the style of the 60s. Discreet office wear turns into seductive outfits.
In collection men's clothing in the fall of 2001 for Louis Vuitton he came up with the image of a neo-romantic gentleman: black leather coats with red buttonholes, bold striped shirts under closed knitted jackets.
For a collection women's clothing for Fall / Winter 2001-2002, Jacobs chose materials such as tweed, cotton, silk and yarn, with mink trims and metal rivets. The finishing touch is leather lace-up boots.
Jacobs' collections have become a new image for the House of Louis Vuitton. Before the arrival of Marc Jacobs, the Louis Vuitton fashion line played a secondary role, and then, after the release of several collections, began to set the tone for the entire fashion world.
In parallel with his work for the House of Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs continued to work for his own collection. And in the fall of 2001, he presented an original cashmere coat with bold cuffs and large buttons, as well as a sequined mohair coat. The collection included jersey dresses.
He worked a lot, up to 16 hours a day, releasing collection after collection. And in the same 2001, Mark launched a clothing line that featured military-style coats with many rivets and zippers, high-waisted jeans, pink and yellow striped jeans, layered skirts, and graffiti sweatshirts. He, in collaboration with artists and designers, painted fabrics in which the ideas of the past came into contact with the ideas of the present.
About four years ago, Marc Jacobs's health deteriorated. Turning to a nutritionist, he decided to follow all the instructions in order to regain his health. The list of directions was quite long. In addition to medication and a strict diet, the doctor prescribed a daily smile, rest and sweat as much as possible. do fitness. When Mark began to do everything, health began to return. Not only did he feel healthier, but his friends and colleagues began to notice him as the best. appearance.
Previously, he worked 16 hours a day, and stopped noticing how he looked, what he was eating, what was he drinking? And now, even at home, he strives to look his best. All the changes also affected the work. Mark has become more confident and it helps in his work.
Marc Collection by Marc Jacobs
When preparations for a new collection begin, Mark always consults with his team, asks everyone for ideas ... he likes to find something wrong and inappropriate, sometimes something that he has never used before. And so all of a sudden, as he says, quite by accident, or arbitrarily, interesting ideas come out, and then models.
Marc Jacobs loves the shows he co-organizes with his team. Shows that are more like theatrical performances, where everything is taken into account: music, and scenery, and light, and much, much more. And he also chooses all female models with non-standard faces.
Marc Jacobs is American in essence and as a designer. He enjoys working for Louis Vuitton. However, "... it's not me ...". Here he works in French. Mark is very meticulous in choosing clothes for himself, “... but I could hardly make a business on what I want to wear. The brand would be out of the market. "
Louis Vuitton collection spring-summer 2014
Marc Jacobs is an amazingly talented designer who knows exactly what people will wear today or tomorrow, he can easily predict the fashion trends of future seasons, he can see the ideas of the past, which he refracts through the prism of modernity.
“… I want the clothes I make to be worn. I want to believe that these things will have a full life, otherwise I would not show them on the catwalk. "
Marc Jacobs Awards
Perry Ellis Golden Thimble Award, 1984
Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award, 1984
Best Student of the Year, Parsons School of Design, 1984
Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent, 1987
Best Womenswear Designer, 1992
CFDA Best Women's Designer 2010
Awarded with Commander of the French Order of Arts and Letters, 2010
Marc Jacobs Spring-Summer 2014 collection
Celebrity biographies
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03.05.15 14:25
Several years ago, he designed T-shirts with symbols that advocate for the right of people to same-sex marriage. After all, the personal life of Marc Jacobs is not a secret to anyone - he does not hide his homosexual inclinations.
Biography of Marc Jacobs
Not a very happy childhood
Born April 9, 1963 in New York, Marc Jacobs did not have a very happy childhood. Maybe there we should look for the sources of his indifference to the fair sex? After all, the mother was not attentive to her three children (Mark has a sister and a brother), she married three times and, according to the couturier himself, was mentally abnormal. Mark's father died when the boy was seven. He did not like the environment in his mother's house, so Jacobs moved to the Upper West Side to live with his paternal grandmother. He just idolized this woman! Mark started working early - as a teenager he took the place of a storekeeper in one of the New York boutiques.
Talented student
At 18, a graduate of the Graduate School of Art and Design entered the Parson School of Design. It was there that the first prizes and awards appeared in the biography of Marc Jacobs ("Student Designer of the Year" and "Golden Thimble").
The talented student designed and implemented a collection of knitted sweaters and participated in the design of a line for the Reuben Thomas brand. At the same time, Mark met Robert Duffy, who became his mentor, friend and business partner.
Own label
The Marc Jacobs label came into being when the designer was 23 years old. He released his first collection and earned the title of "New Talent in the Fashion World". In 1992, Mark received the title of "Fashion Designer of the Year" (then he worked exclusively on women's clothing). He started designing a men's wardrobe two years later. The already very famous couturier De La Renta accused the young colleague of plagiarizing his early works, but other designers and critics considered Jacobs' work to be vintage.
In 1997, Marc Jacobs was offered to become the creative director of the French brand Louis Vuitton.
He happily agreed and held the post until 2013, after which he wanted to devote himself entirely to his brand. Indeed, by that time, three lines were successfully functioning: Marc by Marc Jacobs (aimed mainly at producing clothing for young people), The Marc Jacobs Collection (producing ready-to-wear products) and children's, Little Marc ... In the mid-2000s, the designer released perfumes that differed in "democratic" prices and large volumes (300 ml bottles).
Unconventional approach
Marc Jacobs's biography as a fashion designer is full of unexpected solutions and non-standard actions. So, he prefers to use non-standard models in the promotion of collections and brands. For example, Dakota Fanning once advertised his shoes for children, and the Russian group Tatu advertised youth clothes. Chloë Sevigny and Victoria Beckham gladly collaborated with the master. In 2014, Miley Cyrus became his model.
And in February of the same year, the fashion designer announced that Jessica Lange (now 66, but the actress is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity) will advertise "Mark Jacobc Beauty" cosmetics.
Nude couturier and bright "office"
Mark himself is not averse to acting as a model. For example, he posed nude for an advertisement for the men's fragrance Bang (the bottle was located just below Jacobs's waist).
But not all consumers were able to see this picture in the original - for example, Middle Eastern censors left one bottle without a model on advertising stands, and in some countries the image of the American couturier is cropped.
Interestingly, along with children's clothes, Jacobs also produces stationery, which he sells in the Bookmarc department of his boutique in New York (these are bright pencil cases, letter sets, boxes of colored pencils).
Personal life of Marc Jacobs
Short marriage
Mark has no children, he married only once. In 2008, the engagement of the fashion designer and Lorenzo Martone took place. In the spring of 2009, the couple got married.
But, alas, this marriage did not make the designer happy - he and Lorenzo lasted another year of relationship, and in 2010 they divorced. Since then, Marc Jacobs's personal life has improved - he has a new friend, Harry Louis. True, this alliance seems to have exhausted itself.
(Marc Jacobs; born April 9, 1963, New York, USA) - world famous American origin. Laureate of numerous, Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Creator and founder of the Marc By Marc Jacobs brand. 1997 to October 2013 was the artistic director. Marc Jacobs owns several Bookmarc bookstores in New York and the boutique café Marc By Marc Jacobs in Milan.
Biography and career
Childhood and education. Carier start
Marc Jacobs was born on April 9, 1963 in New York. His father died when the boy was seven years old. His mother married three more times, and each time the family moved. In the end, Mark began living with his grandmother in an old mansion in Manhattan. He will speak of her as “the person who had the most powerful influence on his life,” and as the only truly close relative. It was his grandmother, who loved to sit in front of the TV screen with knitting, who taught him to work on knitting needles and instilled a taste for beautiful things.
At the age of 15, while still a schoolboy, Mark came up with the very first models of his future. Then the boy made his living working at Charivari - a very progressive establishment of his time, where he was entrusted with knitting. Glory has already found a talented designer - his first works were in great demand.
In 1981, Marc Jacobs entered the Parsons School of Design. In 1984, Mark was named Student of the Year.
Before graduating from Parsons School, he managed to come up with many sketches for Ruben Thomas, recreating in them the unforgettable outfits from the movie "Amadeus".
Soon, the young designer had a fateful meeting with Robert Duffy, a future business partner who became a close friend to Mark and replaced his father. Duffy himself described this acquaintance as "business love at first sight." He was just looking for a creative partner and found him in Jacobs. Soon, all New York fashionistas began to talk about Jacobs Duffy Designs.
Creation of your own brand. Working at Perry Ellis
In 1986, with the support of Onward Kashiyama USA, Inc. Marc Jacobs released the collection under his own label.
Jacobs and Duffy are invited to work at Perry Ellis Fashion House. Soon the founder of the brand died, and the management made a bold decision: Mark became creative director, and Robert became president.
It is important to note that Jacobs did not try to immortalize Ellis in his collections, but improved the main features of his design. For example, he revived the Perry Ellis palette. These are warm autumn colors: ocher, pumpkin, plum, beige. Mark refreshed the palette with a trendy rust color. In the fall of 1991, Jacobs presented a grape-colored, chocolate, a juicy tangerine short coat, a toffee-colored sweater and, which not every fashionista would dare to wear. In his models, the designer used cashmere, angora wool, mohair - soft and luxurious materials that give clothes a special chic.
Jacobs certainly respected the designs of other designers, not just Ellis. For example, its glitter-embroidered 1985 hinted at. But, referring to the experience of the past decades, the designer never used "direct quotes". Over and over again, Jacobs returned to the basics of fashion, each time playing with geometric prints, the theme of the American flag and other classic motives in a new way. His interpretations were sophisticated enough to rival classics such as the Norfolk or double-breasted wool suit, which appeared on the cover of Women’s Wear Daily in the fall of 1990.
Worldwide recognition
At the very beginning of his career, Marc Jacobs became a real legend in the fashion industry. Individuality and genius were embodied in his designs - romantic, sophisticated and at the same time free and self-righteous.
In 1992. Marc Jacobs got serious about his own label. This year, for the first time, he presented a style that he developed, which will later be used by other designers. In the Marc Jacobs collection, there were light flowing dresses complemented by "heavy" martens. The innovation was greeted with a bang, the collection was purchased by many department stores in New York. The press and the public were delighted, but the owners of Perry Ellis did not appreciate Jacobs' bold and extraordinary decisions - the extravagant designer was fired along with his partner Robert Duffy.
In 1994, the designer presented the Marc Jacobs collection called "Shooting Stars." It again caught the attention of the public: shiny gold, trousers paired with red and bright green tops, with sheepskin sleeves, tweed jackets with hoods. Sports chic (a strong point of the American fashion school) in casual wear got from Jacobs new life... Mark himself describes his style as "simple things made of luxurious fabrics."
Work at Louis Vuitton. Revival of the Fashion House
Soon, the designer leaves to work in Italy to find new images. There he works on a collection for Iceberg. During the same time period, his partner is in talks with French businessman Bernard Arnault: Jacobs is the creative director of the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. The New York duo demands that the concern (which includes Louis Vuitton) guarantee the support of the Marc Jacobs brand. Arno eventually makes a formal concession: $ 140,000 is much less than Jacobs and Duffy wanted, but enough money to open a Marc Jacobs brand store on Mercer Street and several shows.
In 1998, Marc Jacobs prepared for Louis Vuitton the first collection of women's clothing in the history of the Fashion House. It featured trouser suits, original knee-length and ankle-length skirts, satin double-breasted coats, and laconic pullovers. With the arrival of Marc Jacobs, the Fashion House also began to produce men's collections, shoes, accessories, jewelry (until that moment Louis Vuitton was engaged in the production of only bags and suitcases).
Marc Jacobs proposed to decorate not only bags and suitcases with the LV brand name, but also fabrics, thereby initiating a new boom in logomania.
For the Louis Vuitton Spring / Summer 2000 collection, Jacobs offered simple straight trousers with arrows in light wool, decorated with many pockets with beaded embroidery. His “magical” 1960s-style laces became real - they turned discreet office clothes into sexy outfits.
The Louis Vuitton men's collection Fall / Winter 2001/2002 further deviated from the usual trends, as Jacobs refused to use the style that was very popular at the time. Instead, he came up with the image of a neo-romantic gentleman, dressed in black leather coats with red buttonholes or in bold striped ones worn under closed knitted jackets.
The Louis Vuitton Fall / Winter 2001/2002 women's collection was "a clear improvement", as Dana Thomas wrote on one of the fashion portals. This collection was reminiscent of Jacqueline Kennedy and her unique style. Jacobs chose materials such as cotton, tweed, silk and yarn. Finishing touches that shocked the audience were mink trim, metal rivets and sexy leather lace-up boots.
In the Marc Jacobs fall-winter 2001/2002 collection, Marc Jacobs presented a cashmere coat with large buttons and bright cuffs, a sequined mohair coat, and a line of classic jersey dresses.
“People as amazingly talented as Marc Jacobs have become the exception rather than the rule. He became a model of strength, individuality, liveliness. With his work, he attracted many designers to New York. Marke Jacobs has shown himself to be a true connoisseur of American style. He is a designer who knows exactly what people will wear today and tomorrow, he easily foresees the fashion trends of the coming seasons. Isn't it a miracle? "
Amy Spindler, fashion critic The New York Times
The multifaceted talent of Marc Jacobs
In 2001, Marc Jacobs launched the Marc By Marc Jacobs line. In the same year, Jacobs collaborated with artist and designer Steven Sprouse to create a collection for Louis Vuitton with neon letter prints.
In 2003, Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami designed a new 33-color Monogram Multicolore canvas for Louis Vuitton. Up to this point, the monogram consisting of the initials LV, a four-leafed leaf, a curved rhombus with a four-pointed star and a dot in the center was presented only in beige and brown.
By 2004, with the arrival of Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton's profits had tripled.
In 2007, the designer was included in the list of "50 most influential gay people", compiled by Out magazine.
In 2009, Marc Jacobs, Justin Timberlake and Kate Moss took part in the shooting of Annie Leibovitz for the pages of May Vogue US.
In the same year, in collaboration with Creative Growth, a charity supporting artists with disabilities, Marc Jacobs created a capsule collection of T-shirts and accessories. The prints were designed by disabled artists. The proceeds from the sale of the collection were donated by Marc Jacobs to the Creative Growth Foundation. In 2009, at the Louis Vuitton women's fall-winter 2009/2010 fashion show, models took to the runway wearing hare-shaped headdresses. Marc Jacobs's work has become one of the most talked about this season.
In 2009, Marc Jacobs was named one of the 100 most creative representatives of the fashion industry, compiled by the Fast Company edition. In the same year, the designer created a limited collection of china and crystal tableware for Waterford.
In 2009, Marc Jacobs partnered with the human rights organization Human Rights Campaign to release a collection of T-shirts featuring gay couples.
In 2010, Marc Jacobs and Lady Gaga graced three covers of Fall / Winter V Magazine. The photo session was prepared by Mario Testino. The issue was dedicated to New York and contained interviews and photo sessions with celebrities born in that city.
In 2010, Marc Jacobs and French artist, designer and stylist Maripol created a capsule collection of women's clothing and accessories for Marc by Marc Jacobs. It includes bright T-shirts with original prints and multi-colored plastic bracelets and necklaces. In the same year, the designer opened a boutique café in a historic 16th century building in Milan. The Marc by Marc Jacobs concept store was separated by a glass sliding door, behind which was a bar. In 2010, Marc Jacobs opened the Bookmarc bookstore in New York, where he presented vinyl records, art books, stationery under the Marc Jacobs logo.
In 2010, the designer released the men's fragrance Marc Jacobs Bang. Marc Jacobs also became the face of perfume. The designer was inspired to create the campaign by Yves Saint Laurent, who starred naked in an advertisement for his own fragrance in 1971.
In the same year, Marc Jacobs collaborated with Stubbs & Wootton to create a capsule collection of men's loafers. The image of a rat was used as a print.
In 2011, Marc Jacobs released a $ 35 limited edition T-shirt for Playboy. The shirts went on sale in mid-February and were available for several days at the Marc by Marc Jacobs boutique in New York. The designer donated all the proceeds to the Designers Against AIDS charitable foundation. In 2011, Marc Jacobs created a limited edition collection of men's rubber boots for the Native brand.
In 2011, after John Galliano was fired from Dior, the Fashion House offered the position of creative director to Marc Jacobs. Dior CEO Sidney Toledano has been in talks with the designer for several months. It was discussed in the media that Jacobs asked for an obscenely high annual salary for the post of creative director of the Fashion House. The parties could not agree. In April 2012, Raf Simons took over as Dior's Artistic Director.
In 2011, Jacobs created sheer lucite shoes for the Marc Jacobs Women's Spring / Summer 2012 collection.
In 2012, Marc Jacobs and Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama created a capsule collection of women's clothing and accessories for Louis Vuitton with a bright pea print.
In 2013, due to overworking, Marc Jacobs left the post of creative director of his own brand, Marc by Marc Jacobs. He offered this position to designers Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier. The latter has been collaborating with Marc Jacobs for over 10 years.
In 2013, for the 30th anniversary of Diet Coke, Marc Jacobs designed the tin and glass bottles stamps. The jars were made in the style of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, each of which was decorated with an image of a girl dressed in a corresponding style.
“To be the creative director of Diet Coke and to be part of the 30th anniversary celebration is a great honor for me. Diet Coke is an icon and I love icons. "
April 2013 saw the premiere of the dramatic thriller No Communication directed by Henry Alex Rubin. Marc Jacobs played the role of a pimp in the film. His character Harvey lures young guys and girls into the porn business on the Internet, promising good money. The film also stars Paula Patton, Jason Bateman and others.
“We are all heroes of the film that we have thought up in our heads, we are all individual. I like imperfections, for example, gaps between teeth, imperfectly painted eyes, "live" hair. My cosmetics are for those who want to remain themselves, but be beautiful, bright and happy. "
The collection of 122 cosmetic products was presented in 4 categories. The first, Smart Complexion, includes concealers, powders and makeup bases. The second category, Hi-Per Color, included lipsticks, lip glosses, blush, eyeshadow, bronzers and nail polishes. The third group, Blacquer, was represented by eye makeup. The fourth category, Boy Tested and Girl Approved, included products for natural makeup, including lip balms, eyebrow fixing gel and concealers. Marc Jacobs Beauty makeup products are now available at Sephora stores in the US and Canada.
In October 2013, Marc Jacobs stepped down as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. After the show of the brand's spring-summer collection, Bernard Arnault and Marc Jacobs announced that they would not renew their contract, which expires in 2014.
“Bernard gave this solution to Robert and me. Two weeks ago, when I returned to Paris, he said: "The future of Marc Jacobs will require such attention from you and Robert that at some point you will have to decide which collection will be the last for Louis Vuitton." But he left the decision to us. "
In an interview with WWD, Bernard Arnault said that in the next 2-3 years LVMH plans to develop Marc Jacobs. He also stressed that it will take a lot of strength and energy from Marc Jacobs and his partner Robert Duffy.
In 2014, Marc Jacobs created the most expensive fall-winter 2014/2015 dress. The outfit also became the most expensive outfit in Marc Jacobs history. The cost of one meter of fabric from which the dress was made was 8 thousand dollars. The material was made by hand by craftsmen from one of the Swiss textile factories. The fabric was decorated with an embroidery consisting of individual organza patches in the form of flowers. The cost of the dress is estimated at 28 thousand dollars. The outfit is currently in the archives of the Marc Jacobs brand.
Personal life
Marc Jacobs is openly gay and has publicly advocated for same-sex couples on several occasions. Jacobs himself had been in a relationship with Lorenzo Martone for several years and even talked about his intention to marry and adopt a child. In 2009, the couple played a wedding on St. Barth's Island, but they never officially legalized the relationship.
“We had a quiet wedding at the home of one of our friends on the island. Only the closest friends attended the ceremony. But we haven’t signed any documents yet, so we are not officially married yet. ”
Lorenzo Martone
In the spring of 2010, unexpectedly for everyone, the couple announced their separation. Mark and Lorenzo have maintained friendly relations and continue to closely communicate to this day.
In 2011, Marc Jacobs began dating pornographic actor Harry Louis. In 2013, the couple broke up.
Interests of Marc Jacobs
In the 2000s. the designer used alcohol and drugs. In 2006, doctors diagnosed Mark with a stomach ulcer and reported the need to remove the rectum. Jacobs was seriously concerned about his health, he turned to a nutritionist who developed a program for him proper nutrition... After that, Marc Jacobs underwent a rehabilitation course at the Passages Clinic in Malibu. He began to play sports and eat right. For 2013, Marc Jacobs goes to the gym every day, leads a healthy lifestyle.
“I cannot live a day without exercise equipment, I am drawn to sports, I need this adrenaline and endorphin for work and creativity.”
Marc Jacobs is known for his love of women's wardrobe items. In 2008, the designer first appeared in public in a skirt. Subsequently, he also began wearing Scottish kilts, dresses, sundresses and Hermès Birkin bags. With his outfits, Jacobs made a splash and caused a storm of discussions in fashion circles and the press.
“I like to wear skirts, especially kilts. True, a few years ago I also discovered pencil skirts. So now my main love is Prada skirts. They are very comfortable. When I wear them, I feel happy. I buy more and more and now I just can't stop wearing them. "
Awards
"The collaboration between Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy is the foundation for the development of Marc Jacobs, one of the most influential and successful brands in the world."
Margaret Hayes, President and CEO of Fashion Group International
Marc Jacobs (interview to Calvin Klein for Harper's Bazaar, August 2010)
Male provocateur Calvin Klein spoke with another provocateur - Marc Jacobs - about life, health and his recently released Bang!
Calvin Klein: I would like to talk about Bang! Describe it.
I like him! However, I also created this fragrance as something that I like myself, something that I want to wear on myself. And I came up with the name quite by accident, in the gym. I just heard a loud “Bang!” Sound. And that's how it was. Then I also thought about pepper, that I like its smell. I came to Coty and said that I like the scent of pepper - red, black, white, pink, yellow ... and that I want to wear this scent. Then we immediately started discussing the bottle and packaging.
Robert, my business partner, said at the time that I was in good shape, why not appear in an advertisement for the fragrance myself. I thought about his proposal for a long time, looking for someone who could capture me well, who would bring this idea to life, with high quality and style. Around that moment, I found a prototype of how the advertisement should look - this famous photo of Yves Saint Laurent by Jeanloup Sieff. Then I thought about what I would be wearing. After all, I'm not Tom Ford, I'm not so good at presenting clothes on myself. Something was needed that would not look ridiculous. I tried a lot of options - jeans, T-shirts - and I didn't like anything. Then Gerdin said "Take off your clothes altogether!" This is how the advertisement actually appeared.
Calvin Klein: I thought your message was that this is a very personal scent ... Mysterious, sexy, individual ...
So many things happen in your head when you do something ... Calvin Klein: But people don't know that Gerdin asked you to take off your clothes. They see a naked body and, accordingly, think about sex.
I think the point is that I am tormented by the idea of \u200b\u200bimplementing an idea that demystifies the end result. I know too much to believe the end result (nudity). 
Calvin Klein: Maybe it was subconscious?
Well, I felt good, I liked the way I looked, so it was easy for me. And then, in my eyes, a guy without clothes looks much better than in her! Calvin Klein: It's the same with women.
Some women and some men. Calvin Klein: When do you think about whether a fragrance should be romantic, sexy, woody or fresh? And when do thoughts come to packaging and everything else?
I think about everything together. But I always say: first we need a name. The name should evoke some associations. And then, Bang! originally carried a sexual connotation. It is like a statement: it has already been made and is a fact. Calvin Klein: In a way, scent, like clothing, is very personal. You personally participated in the development of the concept, can you say that this perfume is a part of you?
The thing is, I spent a lot of time talking about this scent. I discuss it not only here and now, with you, but also with many other people, journalists ... I cannot imagine what has nothing to do with me. I feel a little uncomfortable if I own something that I didn't have a hand in creating. My name is written on the packaging of this fragrance, but I cannot say that I made it. This is due to the merit of my team - including women - and I have a much better sleep at night if I honestly talk about it. But yes, this fragrance is a part of me, I put a lot into it. Calvin Klein: I talked to my design friends and we came to the conclusion that it is much easier to do what you want yourself to do. But when you have a team, many people think that the process becomes easier, but this is not so.
Yes. In a team, you must be a good calculator, a good father, a good caretaker. A certain sensitivity is necessary, because everyone has an ego. We're just people. Calvin Klein: What about your men's collections? Looking at them, are you ready to say that you will wear these clothes?
From a business point of view, I would like my collections to go beyond my taste. Basically, I myself wear a shirt and a kilt every day. As you know, I am very picky about choosing clothes for myself. Perhaps it sounds strange, but I would hardly be able to make a business on what I want to wear. The brand would be out of the market. Calvin Klein: I doubt it. But I'm sure there are women who identify with your aesthetic. It doesn't matter if it is a fragrance, jewelry or clothing.
When I look at other designers, their work, it seems to me that their ideas are very clear. When I look closely at what I am doing myself, I do not understand what is happening?
Calvin Klein: I think others understand. Not everyone, because you are not addressing everyone, but those who buy your things.
So, leaving aside the fragrances, clothing and accessories ... How about yourself? Here is a picture of you naked. I heard that you work out in the gym for more than two hours, six days a week, and also you are on a strict diet.
Four years ago, my body was 21 percent fat. I went to the hospital, then I was discharged from it, because I suffered from an ulcer. I was in the office 16 hours a day, 6 of which I spent in the bathroom, so I felt bad. I haven't eaten anything other than fast food. The doctor said, "We're going to have to remove your rectum." I replied, "I won't do it!"
Then I went to a nutritionist named Lindsay Duncan, who promised me that if I followed his instructions 100 percent, I would be in great shape and preserve my rectum. I agreed. He said, “No caffeine, no sugar, no white flour, no cow's dairy. Taking medicine every day, eating leek with ginger ... ”The list was endless.
He also said that I should laugh every day, rest every day, sweat every day (which meant going to gym). And I never set foot in the gym. I will say this, I have not walked long distances for 20 years. And so I began to exercise, follow the instructions of a nutritionist - and I liked it. Since then, I love it all, because it made me feel good.
When my health started to improve, when my stomach stopped hurting, when I stopped spending half a day in the toilet, when I could look at myself in the mirror, when I got muscles, I said: "This is amazing!" My 21 percent body fat is 5!
Then others began to pay attention to me, offering dates. Everything changed dramatically, I began to think better of myself. Therefore, it became difficult for me to always be in clothes. Every time I am asked to take it off, I say: "Of course, no problem!" I started visiting a hairdresser, doing manicure and pedicure ... Before that, I never looked after my appearance, I didn't care. I thought: "I spend 16 hours a day in the studio, no one sees me, who cares how I look?" Now even mine has become different home life... I furnished the interior because I want guests to come to me.
Calvin Klein: What about work? Have there been any changes in this area?
The changes in my life have certainly affected my work. I became more confident and trusting. Sometimes they say that I am very rebellious, provoke people to any reaction. In fact, I just enjoy watching the reaction. Now I am in very good shape, but before I was too vulnerable and unsure of myself. These moments still happen from time to time, but my newfound confidence helps me a lot in my work.
After three months of my new life, my nutritionist asked me, "Do you feel any changes?" To which I replied: "Yes, I am always at home alone, I eat terrible and tasteless food." Then he asked, "What do people say about how you look?" To this I replied that my environment believes that I look better than ever. "Do you like hearing this?" - he asked. "Well, if you approach this issue from this side, then yes, in this regard, I'm happy." And I thought it was very interesting. This is the first step - people start noticing changes in you and they like it. It makes you feel better. It's like critics are giving your costume a positive response and you think "Super!" and try to be even better. Of course this doesn't always work, but the effect is amazing.
Calvin Klein: Your health, your appearance, your excellent shape, beautiful body - all this is the result of training and, in general, work on yourself. And this is very important. After all, when you are very busy with work, it is very easy to justify yourself, throw everything off on lack of time, and so on.
MJ: That's what I said to the nutritionist, "I don't have time for all this." To which he said: “But you will never have more time. You burn the candle at both ends. You work in two different countries, you are always busy, you are constantly sick. How much time do you think you will waste while doing nothing about it? "
Calvin Klein: Let's talk about collections. How do you put the collection together? Where do you start? Where do you get inspiration?
I usually start with words like "I have no idea what we are going to do because I just don't know." And so it is always, every time the same beginning. I just sit with my team and ask: "Who has what ideas, who thinks what?" When I have a blank sheet of paper in front of me, I just don't know where to start, I can't start working, looking at an empty space. But when someone shows me, for example, six scraps of fabric, I say: "This is not that, this will not work, but this is interesting." Moreover, what seemed interesting to me may not end up in the collection, but this is how it all turns out.
I love to start working on something that I don't like at the moment. Finding something wrong, not right, something that I would never have used in the past. For example, brocade. And then, quite by accident, we make something out of brocade, and it turns out well. That's an example. I don't really hate brocade.
Calvin Klein: But is there still room for inspiration? What inspires you?
As a rule, the spirit inspires me the most. True, sometimes I fall into melancholy. The new collection in New York is a 100% reflection of my personal life. Not literally, but indirectly. We wanted to do something that looks sober, has a nice soft color, but with touches of yellow. It was the most beige and gray collection in my life, I had never done this before. We were inspired by black and white retro photographs, but we were not interested in the image, but in the sepia effect, these black and white and gray shades. And it was such a quiet feeling of beauty ... We made this collection right after the one in which everything was radically different: craziness, romance, frills and pearls. And so always, it all comes out very arbitrary.
I believe that our shows have become a kind of entertainment. It's like a seven-minute theatrical performance, so I try to make it as spectacular as possible: I choose the scenery, music, light, everything.
Calvin Klein: How do you share your collections for Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton?
I would like not to separate them, but it turns out that way. When I come to Paris, I am a foreigner, I’m kind of separated from their world. I love working for Louis Vuitton, it's amazing work, but it's like an alter ego. It reveals personality, makes you recognized by labels, it is gloss, but it is not me. Although, this is the role I wanted to play. I am an American in Paris, but I portray a French designer. People come to me with samples of fabrics, I approve them ... It's all so French, as if I were in a movie. Sometimes the sense of reality is lost.
I'm more communicative in New York. This is my home, my friends, a lot of conversations during work. I do what I have to do where I am.
Calvin Klein: Do you perceive women differently than men? Do you think they are brand driven?
In Paris, every detail, every line, every finishing element looks very demonstrative, making you react. "Wow, that's Vuitton!" I've thought about this a lot since I first came to Louis Vuitton. One day a journalist asked me: "Why do you think LV luggage is still so popular and modern?" What I find unique about the brand is that it makes people want to be in the club. They want to be identified as club members. For example, if Louis Viutton luggage was not covered with the brand's logos, it would hardly have sold as well as it does. In general, it was created for people who traveled by steamer; now no one travels like that, and luggage is being sold. Therefore, modernity is the last thing I think about. I think about skill, about the ability to create things that are highly recognizable.
When I first started working for Louis Vuitton, I decided that it would be very smart to hide the coat label inside. If I hide the buttons with the logos behind the lapels ... And the first thing that the sellers asked in the shops was the following: “Does this coat turn inside out? Can you make the label visible? " Then I realized that my idea was hopeless. I decided that there was no need to hide anything, let the label show off outside.
Calvin Klein: Do you think about it when you make a collection? Is this the inspiration for its creation?
Of course, I think about it very often. Sometimes our head is spinning and we start doing things in the fashion show style. Then I say: “I hope that at least one of my acquaintances will wear it ...” Because I want the clothes I make to be worn. I don't care if a girl is sitting in her on the sidewalk after a crazy party and she's spoiled. I want to believe that these things will have a full life, otherwise I would not show them on the catwalk.
Calvin Klein: There was one woman who lived for fashion and style and died for them. Completely obsessed. When I entered the fashion business, I got to know a lot of these women. They worked for fashion magazines. Things are different now. There are many more modern things in this world. Maybe times were different then ...
Everything changes. Life is as it is and the world is as it is. Times change. And people are a reflection of the time in which they live.
Official site: www.marcjacobs.com
Spring / Summer 2011 Marc Jacobs Ladies' Collection
