Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion designer, business leader |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Founder of Marc Jacobs brand, former creative director of Louis Vuitton |
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is a prominent American fashion designer and business leader. He heads his eponymous fashion brand, Marc Jacobs, and previously managed the diffusion label Marc by Marc Jacobs for approximately 15 years until it was discontinued following the 2015 fall/winter season. At its height, Marc by Marc Jacobs operated more than 200 stores worldwide across 80 countries, demonstrating extensive international reach and market impact. Jacobs held the position of creative director at the French luxury house Louis Vuitton from 1997 until 2014, a tenure that significantly elevated his profile and competitive standing within the fashion industry.
Time magazine included Jacobs in its "2010 Time 100" list of the most influential individuals, and Out magazine ranked him #14 in their 2012 "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America," highlighting his strategic leadership and influence in fashion. In April 2019, he married his longtime partner Charly Defrancesco.
Early life and education
Born into a secular Jewish family in New York City, Jacobs lost his father—an agent at the William Morris Agency—when he was six years old. Raised predominantly by his paternal grandmother on the Upper West Side, he spent part of his youth in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he attended Teaneck High School.
From an early age, Jacobs exhibited a strong interest in fashion. He attended the High School of Art and Design before enrolling at Parsons School of Design in New York. While studying at Parsons in 1984, he earned the Perry Ellis & Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and was honored as Design Student of the Year. In 1987, he became the youngest designer to receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent and went on to win the CFDA Women’s Designer of the Year in 1993.
Career
At age 15, Jacobs began working as a stockboy at Charivari, an avant-garde boutique in New York City that has since closed. During his time at Parsons, he designed and sold hand-knit sweaters and created a collection for Reuben Thomas, Inc. Collaborating with Robert Duffy under the Sketchbook label, they formed Jacobs Duffy Designs.
In 1986, with backing from Onward Kashiyama USA, Inc., Jacobs launched his inaugural Marc Jacobs collection. The following year, he received the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for "New Fashion Talent," becoming its youngest honoree. In 1988, Jacobs and Duffy joined Perry Ellis’s women’s design division as creative director/vice president and president respectively. He secured the CFDA Women’s Designer of the Year Award in 1992; however, despite critical praise, his grunge-inspired 1992 Perry Ellis collection failed commercially, resulting in his termination.
Jacobs Duffy Designs established Marc Jacobs International Company, L.P. in 1993 to expand licensing and design operations. By 1994, Jacobs presented his first full menswear collection. Upon being appointed Louis Vuitton’s creative director in 1997, he launched the brand’s initial ready-to-wear line and collaborated with artists including Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Kanye West.
The secondary label Marc by Marc Jacobs was introduced in 2001. By 2005, Look managed its Japanese ready-to-wear license valued at €50 million retail. In 2006, Jacobs debuted a body splash fragrance line distributed by Coty; this was followed by the launch of the widely successful Daisy perfume collection in 2007.
In 2008, Jacobs resolved a plagiarism dispute regarding a scarf design by compensating the original creator’s family. In 2009, he released shirts supporting gay marriage legalization and co-hosted a notable gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art alongside Kate Moss. In 2010, he filed a lawsuit against Ed Hardy over handbag design infringement.
During Berlin Fashion Week in 2011, Jacobs supported emerging talent through mentoring under the "Designer for Tomorrow" award. Speculation about him assuming Christian Dior’s creative director role circulated but was denied by early 2012.
Jacobs made his acting debut with a role in the film Disconnect (2012). That same year, Diet Coke appointed him as creative director for its 30th-anniversary rebranding campaign. In 2013, controversy arose when garments labeled as faux fur were revealed to contain raccoon dog fur.
Leaving Louis Vuitton at the end of 2013 allowed Jacobs to concentrate on his own brand fully. His Spring/Summer 2014 campaign featured Miley Cyrus; shortly thereafter Jessica Lange became ambassador for Marc Jacobs Beauty. Employing social media casting strategies for Marc by Marc Jacobs campaigns during 2014–15 enhanced consumer engagement significantly.
In 2018, LVMH named Baja East co-founder John Targon as creative director responsible for contemporary products at Marc Jacobs. The following year saw Jacobs honored with MTV’s inaugural Fashion Trailblazer Award.
September 2020 marked the launch of Heaven—a polysexual line aimed at younger demographics featuring gender-fluid designs and collaborations with emerging artists such as beabadoobee and Iris Law.
A February 2023 editorial shoot went viral by showcasing iconic figures from New York nightlife alongside models and creatives working under Jacobs's direction—demonstrating his ongoing influence on market trends and innovative campaign execution.
Awards
- 2016 CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year
- 2019 MTV Video Music Fashion Trailblazer Award
Stores
By mid-2013, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Collection operated a total of 285 retail outlets globally. The brand’s flagship location debuted in Shanghai in December 2013.
In March 2015, Jacobs discontinued the Marc by Marc Jacobs line to concentrate on expanding his main label and catering to a more upscale customer base.
At present, Heaven by Marc Jacobs maintains three boutique stores situated in Los Angeles, New York City, and London.
Style
Jacobs characterizes his designs as subtly indulgent, emphasizing inquisitiveness rather than explicit sensuality. His runway presentations frequently draw celebrities such as Kim Gordon and Vincent Gallo. Distinct from many peers, Jacobs views fashion as an interactive and continually developing art form instead of the product of a lone visionary. He was instrumental in creating a "streetwise aesthetic" that merges elements from preppy, grunge, and high fashion styles.
The Marc Jacobs label is distinguished by its cutting-edge advertising campaigns that showcase cultural figures rather than conventional models. In 2015, campaign participants included notable personalities like Sofia Coppola, Cher, and Willow Smith.
The Spring 2016 campaign conveyed a "visual story" highlighting themes of individuality and inclusivity, featuring a varied ensemble including Lana Wachowski, Bette Midler, Juliette Lewis, Bella Hadid, among others. This effort received acclaim as one of the season’s standout campaigns, underscoring the brand’s creative prominence and market strength.
Personal life and causes
Jacobs spearheads the "Protect The Skin You're In" initiative, which showcases celebrities posing nude with carefully placed T-shirt coverage to promote melanoma awareness. Funds raised benefit research at NYU Langone Medical Center. Participants have included Miley Cyrus, Eva Mendes, Kate Upton, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Hilary Swank, Cara Delevingne, and Naomi Campbell.
On April 4, 2018, Jacobs proposed to his then-partner Charly Defrancesco during a flash mob held at a Chipotle restaurant, where dancers performed to Prince's "Kiss." The couple wed in New York City on April 6, 2019. That same month, they acquired the Max Hoffman House in Rye, New York—a residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.