Marc by Marc Jacobs is one of those labels that seems as if it’s been around forever, it’s breezy catwalk shows with their sweetly eccentric, fun designs providing a joyful interlude from some of the more intense, ultra-serious collections at New York Fashion Week. But it hasn’t of course, it stretches back only to the beginning of the millennium, in 2001, and launched to such excitement that even the suburban GCSE student that I was at the time could realise that this label was a massive deal.
A quirky diffusion line, Marc by Marc Jacobs is the playful baby sister to the designer’s eponymous mainline, real ‘fashion’ undoubtedly, but with a retro-cool, slightly off-beat quality that give it a mass appeal. And of course, everybody knows the man behind it, 47 year old Marc Jacobs, reigning king at Louis Vuitton, as well as his own labels, the New York born style starlet whose definitive, grunge-inspired collection for Perry Ellis got him fired but helped define the fashion of the Nineties. A friend to the stars who re-invented himself as a buff-bodied media darling and master of clothes that are simultaneously striking and easy to wear.
Jacobs is not the sort of person who would let such an important anniversary for one of his labels pass by commemorated, so there will be celebrations of course, but more than that, there’s something for us all to enjoy, a special edition capsule collection of all the designer’s favourite pieces from the label over the years. And this got us here in the farfetch.com office to thinking what are our own favourite Marc by Marc Jacobs moments.
Marc by Marc Jacobs Autumn/Winter 07 and Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 10
The Autumn/Winter Collection of 2007 has to be one, where Jacobs’ pulled off an absolute master-class in Winter dresses, short and girlish enough to be flirty, but layered up with wooley tights and long gloves to keep the frost at bay. There was a particularly breath-taking gold dress which managed to be acceptable attire for everything from a glamorous party (the lustrous metallic looks great under party lights) to a smart day at the office (the demure frills stop it being too dressy). Then there was the fifties flavour of Spring/Summer 2010, where the Jacobs pulled off the impressive feat of putting a fresh spin on a decade so often over-used by other designers, adding modernity to the flared skirts by raising the hemlines, and adding a splash of 21st century hipster favourite plaid.
'Blondie' t-shirt, and 'I Love You' Key Chain both by Marc by Marc Jacobs
Off the catwalk and back in the office, one team member publicly lusted after this silver Marc by Marc Jacobs keyring with such ardour that eventually we were all begging him to get it, if only so he would shut up (not to mention there was no real reason not to, it falls into the bracket of surprisingly reasonably priced Marc Jacobs merchandise). And the favourite from my own wardrobe is this green Blondie t-shirt (not done any favours by my horrific photography it must be said), such a beloved possession that I hang it on my coat rack in display so I can admire it.
Dresses from the 10th Anniversary Capsule Collection
Which brings us rather neatly to the capsule collection, which consists of limited-edition reissues of some of the decade’s most treasured Marc by Marc Jacob pieces, and it must be said, the perfect way of investing in a little piece of fashion history. Naturally, it includes some of his cute, trademark dresses, our favourites being this leopard print version and a sweet little checked number (seriously, if you can’t rely on leopard print and checks to creep back into high fashion every other season, nothing in the world is sacred).
T-shirts from the 10th Anniversary Capsule Collection
And then of course there are the t-shirts. Effortless, versatile, and mostly unisex, they are the very epitome of down-town cool. Can it get any more Marc by Marc Jacobs than that?