Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs, the designer of signature fashion collections in New York and those of the French luxury label Louis Vuitton in Paris, is one of the most prolific and provocative forces in global fashion. His elaborate shows, including theatrical sets designed by Stefan Beckman, with confetti streaming from the rafters, or a marching band trumpeting down the runway, can sometimes seem more like performance art than mere statements on fashion. He is arguably the most watched American designer of the first decade of the 21st century.
Mr. Jacobs, born in New York City, attended the High School of Art and Design and Parsons School of Design. As a student, he began designing sweaters for the Manhattan store Charivari. In 1984, Robert Duffy, then an executive at the Ruben Thomas sportswear company, hired Mr. Jacobs to design a collection called Sketchbook; Mr. Duffy and Mr. Jacobs have continued to work as partners.
In 1989, Mr. Jacobs began to design for Perry Ellis, where he became famous in the early '90s for a controversial "grunge" collection based on the style of the Seattle rock scene. He started his own label in 1993 and took on Vuitton in 1997.
At Vuitton, Mr. Jacobs updated its image as a luggage maker to one of fashionable ready-to-wear and accessories, most successfully by introducing seasonal collaborations on handbag designs with colleagues and artists like Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami.
Mr. Jacobs began expanding his signature looks to include heavy-ply, waffle-knit cashmere sweaters, dark coats in men's wear shapes, streamlined ball gowns with oversize Japanese bows, and an eclectic current of inside references that amble seasonally from Halston to Bill Blass to Yves Saint Laurent to Rei Kawakubo.
His recent collections have drawn heated critiques within the fashion industry that are typically followed seasons later by mass adoption of his ideas. His clownlike printed smocks for fall 2005 led a rash of designers to adopt bold volumes; his revival of grunge references for fall 2006 inspired a year of fashionable layering.
In February 2007, after a show that was most surprising for its emphasis on polish, Cathy Horyn, the fashion critic for The New York Times, wrote that "in his last three shows, he has attempted to go beyond the temporal limits of the runway and give clothes the emotional charge of a film or a painting." In the genteel world of luxury, companies like Marc Jacobs long felt that the Web was no place for merchandising exclusive products, and there was a gentlemen’s agreement with department stores not to siphon sales by reaching out directly to wealthy customers.
The recession has changed their thinking. In September 2010 marcjacobs.com plans to go retail, 10 years after most brands opened Web showrooms.
Although this article focused briefly on Mark Jacob's history as a designer, it concluded with how the economy has effected the way the designer markets his product -- a bad economy does not discriminate and no product or service is safe. Below are several short and long videos from different angles, economy professionals, designers, media, low budget fashion. . .some discussing how fashion is viewed, damaged and evolved and some birthed from the fall of the economy.
Assignment: How does Fashion stay a float in a bad economy? Please write a persuasive essay/article using this different reference material provided. Highlight facets of these videos and above article to demonstrate your argument. Reference, speakers, quotes and you may even disagree with points. . .it should be 3 paragraphs. Due 5/26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5CNo13tres
http://www.youtube.com/user/KmartFashion?v=YqZrqx1ahfI&feature=pyv&ad=10738763272&kw=fat%20fashion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFrG4Q1e3-E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCgw3GVnqxU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GureiwQi6Rw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6GR1eZyho0&feature=related
