Marc Jacobs is a prolific and well-known fashion designer from New York, thanks to his eponymous fashion label. He had an unconventional upbringing, living with...
17 June 2019Marc Jacobs is a prolific and well-known fashion designer from New York, thanks to his eponymous fashion label. He had an unconventional upbringing, living with his grandmother on the affluent and artistic Upper West Side, after his father died and his mother remarrying several times. He went on to study at the Parsons School of Design, before embarking upon a remarkable journey in the fashion industry.
Over the decades, he has created a hugely successful line of clothing, accessories, shoes and Marc Jacobs fragrances; including the best-selling Daisy collection. With that in mind, how much do you know about the man behind the clothes? Here are 5 facts you might not have already known about Marc Jacobs.
Marc Jacobs’ first job out of school was when he was 25, at a clothing brand called Perry Ellis. He was the youngest person to hold a significant position on Seventh Avenue; Seventh Avenue was at the heart of NYC’s fashion district, and was a very big deal to work there. On his first day, Jacobs was mistaken for a courier boy.
After securing financial backing to design under his own label, Marc Jacobs became the youngest designer to receive the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.
It was at Perry Ellis that Marc Jacobs created his now infamous grunge collection. He had sent samples to Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, who burned them. He was eventually fired for the creation of the collection.
Marc Jacobs didn’t initially start out with his own label; this came later in his career. Before his eponymous brand, Jacobs was actually the creative director of Louis Vuitton.
He held this position for 16 years, but did you know that took 18 months of negotiations to get him there? He was eventually hired in 1997, and designed the fashion house’s first ready-to-wear collection in 1998.
Marc Jacobs launched his eponymous label in the 1980s, and opened the first Marc Jacobs free-standing store on Mercer Street in Soho in 1997. His first customer was the actress Julia Roberts.
In 2011, Marc Jacobs became the first fashion designer to be included in an episode of South Park. He was spoofed in a one-off episode, appearing as a doll called ‘Muscle Man Marc’. He loved it, and designed a South Park-style doll of himself to sell to his fans.
Marc Jacobs has often said that he thinks the greatest American designer is Ralph Lauren. However, his favourite designer is Yves Saint Laurent. Despite both of these, he would love to work for Chanel one day!
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