Marc Jacobs’ Couture-Worthy Collection Bolsters Contemporary Offerings

For his latest designer collection—which for all intents and purposes could be called Haute Couture as surely it involves had crafting—Marc Jacobs leaned into the less is more idea, stressing quality over quantity to perfection, For this runway outing entitled “Beauty”, the designer showed exactly 19 looks at New York’s Public Library Monday night. In show notes, the Jacobs defined beauty as “a quality or combination of qualities that gives pleasure to the mind or senses, and it is often associated with properties such as harmony of form or color, proportion, and authenticity.” Adding to the definition could be “something that is a sight to behold.” Indeed, this latest collection is precisely that. It also demonstrates the vocabulary Jacobs is developing in his latest design era that features outsize silhouettes, extreme structure, and doll and cartoon-esque elements imagined as high fashion. It also fuels the bevy of highly successful merch, especially in handbags, that falls into the attainable category, which is driving the Marc Jacobs business model.

Set to Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s “Song for Jesse,” which itself had a childlike, mystical mood to it, models walked slowly down the library corridor in shoes that could double as stilts—the required slow pace for the footwear allowed for careful viewing of the clothes. Jacobs is furthering certain design elements, such as projected square hip seams or bustled skirts and balloon-like shapes, and explores them in different ways.

Notably, Jacobs recalled the bow, a familiar design motif. They were enlarged and placed on the bums of skirts and dresses, adding in some cases the idea of the modern bustle, such as in the yellow lace dress, which felt very ‘Gilded Age 2.0’—or as headdresses.

Floral and lace prints, often in transparent fabrics, revealed boning and hoop skirt structures, and mutton sleeves added to the feminine innocence that prevailed. A modern vixen idea emerged in the pencil skirts with exaggerated padded flounces. Oversized pants anchored some opening looks, either cargo-influenced or a transformed white jean style that was paired with a layered bra-corset-camisole combo and dripping in chains and beaded necklaces that draped around the back and arms as well. A padded cream sweater ensemble, constructed from multiple stuffed sweaters, also pushed an idea into new design territory.

The clothes gave the sense that Jacobs and his team must have had a ball coming up with these creations. It feels like the tone that sets the bevy of merchandise available for sale on the brand’s website, even though Jacobs doesn’t turn his collection debut into a media circus driven more by marketing than design. The tight edit of 19 leaves you wanting more; perhaps that is by design. While many may dream of owning one of these runway styles, or even the pared-back designer merchandise exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, the attainable luxury goods with the contemporary price points ensure most can still get a Marc Jacobs fix. To wit, many attendees were brandishing the new Cristina Satchel bag style that retails for an easy $350.