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
6 comments:
this is a test
Today our economy is not as prefect as it used to be. Many people are not willing to pay high prices for clothing as before. Having sales on clothes has been a great attraction to keep clothing stores economy at float. The three main reasons how fashion stay a float in the economy are reduce prices, females love for fashion, and different merchandise.
Many of our clothes are fabricated in different countries, the labor provided by these countries has a lower price than in the U.S but it cannot be reduced any longer. The workers have to be paid a salary and by reducing their salaries there will b loss of workers, this can push workers away. Instead of reducing their paycheck we can reduce the price of the fabric by buying cheaper fabric to make the same clothes. Reduce on the detailing in the garments can also help save money and time.
The article 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”. Brand names are not only marketing for the higher upper class but are trying to reach everyone with their products by making them much more affordable to lower income households.
(Edith Azcatl)
Even as the economy gets worse and worse, people seem to start dressing better. I believe this is all because of the depression everyone is dealing with. When your not feeling that great, the best thing to do is to atleast look your best! By bringing out bright colors and exciting pattererns, it makes the customer feel better nd gives them more confidence. By dressing well and looking good, and staying in an affordable price range, people everywhere seem to "forget" about the bad economy crisis thats been going on.
As the years have gone by fashion keeps being a strong industry. The fashion industry has been through a lot and changed over the years, even with a bad economy it manages to stay in float. The article and the videos explained how fashion manages to stay in float.
The youtube videos explained the process fashion has gone by and is going through as the economy goes down. Consumers are now expending less money in clothing and the quality of it. People don’t want to wear the same garment all the time. For example, people used to get an expensive garment and save it, but now it has changed not only in the female population but as well in the male one too. Men and women want to look great everyday and want the latest trends. Here is where designers try to tell the costumers that they need the latest skirt, pants or whatever they need. Some people wait for things to go on sale, by doing so they’ll pay less for a garment. But owners of clothing stores know that this is affecting them so, they make sure they keep enough merchandise but do not over stock. If they over stock eventually they’ll need to mark down the price losing many dollars. Designers are making the same garments as the previous seasons but changing the fabric and the way it looks. For example, a dress that had many pockets, and was made of an expensive fabric or fancy buttons last year this year the fabric might be cheaper, the garment might have less packets and different buttons. This is how designers manage to survive in a bad economy.
Furthermore, designers are focusing in the whole population now in days; many designers focused their garments on non skinny people. This people also need the feeling of confidence and the desire of someone looking at them not just because their extra pounds but their clothing. What they wear boost their self esteem. K-mart designers are taking ideas from slim people’s garments to use it with those who have a few extra pounds on. Fashion helps everyone to feel good and accepted by others. The video about high heels explained the need women feel for high heels. During the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s high heels started to take a new path toward fashion. A study has shown that women who wear high heels tend to have more confidence and show a sign of well. Women are buying heels like crazy, making designers pull ideas out of the unexpected to satisfy their clients.
In conclusion, fashion is not only clothing it is a way of feeling and being good within yourself. It is a desire to look good and to be look at with an admiration. It makes people work harder to create new styles that satisfy the public in general.
Even when the economy is bad, people will still buy stuff, you just have to get the product right, to atract the consumers, and don't exagerate on the prices. People will invest in better thing, not buy quantity, but quality, so designers have to work on that. Buyers will look for something different than what they already have, they will invest in more elaborated clothes that will make difference in their closet. Somethinh different will convince them to spend the money. The chalange is bring what the consumers want but in a reduced price, because during a crisis no one wants to spend a lot of money. To do so, the designers should buy cheaper fabric then the past years, and use less details. And also, the clothes must be produced in less quantity, so there won't be that much stuff on sale.
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