Season after season, Marc Jacobs manages to predict exactly what women all over the world want to wear. Born in New York’s Upper West Side to parents who both worked for the William Morris Agency, Marc was raised by his fashion-conscious grandmother. As a teenager, he immersed himself in club culture, observing the beautiful people at the Mudd Club, Studio 54 and Hurrah. Today, Marc’s most fruitful source of inspiration is still the crowd of cool girls that surround him (including the stylist Venetia Scott, director Sofia Coppola and numerous art-house actresses). After high school, Marc completed a fashion degree at Parsons School of Design; his graduation collection (1984), which featured brightly-coloured knits, caught the eye of Robert Duffy, an executive who remains Jacobs’ business partner to this day. Together they launched the first Marc Jacobs collection (1986), winning a CFDA award the following year. In 1989 Marc was named head designer at Perry Ellis. His experience there was tempestuous and his infamous ‘grunge’ collection of 1992 – featuring satin Birkenstocks and silk plaid shirts – marked his exit from the company. By 1997 Marc’s star was in the ascendant once again, when LVMH appointed him artistic director at Louis Vuitton. Marc has enhanced the luggage company’s image – not least through his collaborations with artists Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse on seasonal handbag designs – and re-positioned it as a ready-to-wear fashion brand. The company’s impressive portfolio includes Marc Jacobs Collection ready-to-wear, Marc by Marc Jacobs womenswear, Men’s Collection ready-to-wear, Marc by Marc Jacobs menswear, two shoe collections, two optical collections, two sunglass collections, one collection of watches, over nine fragrances, the children’s collection and the much loved collection of special items.
