Legendary designer marks his 40-year fashion milestone with a celebration that blends innovation with nostalgia in a true testament to his trailblazing career.
BY DENISA PALSHA
“I always like to look forward, ” says Marc Jacobs, reflecting on his four-decade reign as one of fashion’s most visionary designers. From the start, Jacobs seemed destined for greatness, winning the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for New Fashion Talent at just ¢4-the youngest designer to ever receive the honor. His meteoric rise continued with the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, marking the beginning of a career defined by relentless reinvention, fearless experimentation, and an unwavering commitment to creativity.
But perhaps the true crowning jewel in Jacobs’ illustrious career was becoming the first American designer to lead a French luxury house. His appointment as creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton cemented Jacob’s place in fashion history, launching him into a nearly two-decade-long role that saw him redefine what it means to merge art with luxury. Collaborations with Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Kanye West reshaped the fashion landscape – who could forget the Sprouse Speedy bag, a graffiti-stamped icon that forever altered the LV monograms.
This year Jacobs celebrates his 40-year milestone with a fittingly avant-garde project: partnering with a cadre of world-renowned artists and tastemakers-Pharrell Williams, Tremaine Emory, and Sofia Coppola among them – to reinterpret iconic pieces from his archives, reimagined and commercially available. “When I think about all those years and the experiences I had, I’m incredibly proud of the people I worked with and the work we produced,” he says. “We’ve done some pretty good stuff!”
Yet, true to form, Jacobs isn’t resting on past laurels. His latest tote bag became an overnight sensation, thanks to a viral campaign that saw a TikTok-famous foodie create a tote-shaped cake, sparking a social media frenzy and cementing the bag’s status as a must-have item.
Jacobs’ influence extends well beyond the runway. His fragrance empire continues to thrive, with Daisy standing as a perennial favorite, while his latest scent, Perfect, has garnered rave reviews for its fresh, youthful appeal. “I feel great even more in store for the beauty world,” he teases. The Instagram generation is discovering his take on things through his account which is an eclectic mix of fashion, art, and unfiltered personality. In typical Jacobs fashion, he doesn’t shy away from bold self-expression or playful eccentricities (his latest obsession with nail art is as hysterical as it is curatorial,) making his account feel less like a marketing tool and more like an extension of Jacob’s ever-evolving aesthetic.
And when it comes to defining beauty, Jacobs has a distinct perspective: “For me, beauty is about curiosity, open-mindedness, and self-expression,” he says. “It’s not something we aspire to; it’s who you are. It’s how you see the world and how that manifests within you. It’s about freedom, and how you tell your story.”
