Marc Jacobs Unveils Doll-Like Fantasy in Spectacular 40th-Anniversary Fashion Show
Renowned for his daring choices, Marc Jacobs did not disappoint with the beauty of his 40th-anniversary runway show. «Big hair, big chairs, big yes!» Jacobs invited attendees into a world of doll-like fantasy for the Spring/Summer 2024 Ready-To-Wear collection, celebrating four decades of the iconic Marc Jacobs brand.
As the announcement of the show created anticipation, many speculated on how the collection would pay homage to the label’s legacy. With over 40 years in the industry, Marc Jacobs has evolved from a fresh-faced fashion student to the mastermind behind zeitgeist-dominating collections, captivating campaigns, and Gen-Z-favored sub-labels like Heaven.
The brand’s 40th-anniversary campaign, featuring Dakota Fanning, FKA Twigs, Lila Moss, Lil Uzi Vert, and Cindy Sherman, lensed by Juergen Teller, showcased the diverse friends contributing to its infectious appeal.
Guests entering The Park Avenue Armoury found themselves immersed in Marc Jacobs’ doll-like universe. Models appeared dwarfed by comically large tables and chairs, setting the whimsical tone for the collection.
Volumized, ’60s-inspired hairstyles, rigid doll-like clothing, and billowing shoulders reminiscent of plastic doll attire took center stage on the runway. Coats were fixed in position, adding a playfully unnatural tension to the affair, while boxy, shiny leather shorts contributed to the toy-like display.
In later knitted looks, models walked with shoulders pushed forward, filling out chunky knits in deep red and playful purple, accented with textured brooches for an escapist theme and a lifeless, non-human movement.
Numerous tailored looks in navy plaid and beige featured enlarged buttons, with wearers carrying humongous rounded leather handbags boasting expansion zippers and metallic hoop detailing. Floor-length dresses in muted pink, yellow, brown, and lilac showcased metallic disc-like detailing, with a later black iteration grounding the colorful fun fest.
Heaven by Marc Jacobs made its runway debut with pink, purple, and grey velour-style cropped hoodies and ruched bottom sets, featuring the iconic dual-headed teddy bear logo. Footwear included bulb-toe stilettos, rounded flats, and deconstructed platformed boots with «clip-on» style detailing to the front.
Marc Jacobs’ Spring/Summer 2024 presentation was a playful showcase of fashionable fun, solidifying the brand as one of New York’s best. The collection exemplified the label’s 40-year history, where sartorial takes on pop culture are punctuated with Jacobs’ unwavering creativity.
Behind the Scenes: A Marc Jacobs Doll-Like Universe Unfolds
Backstage at Marc Jacobs, a cloud of hairspray hung so thick that it could be seen and tasted. The team, exhausted from a non-stop 72-hour work marathon, flew directly from Margiela couture to construct Diana Ross-inspired silhouettes from 108 full lace human hair wigs. Jacobs, known for tough decisions, showcased beauty in its 40th-anniversary runway show.
Cetaphil pump bottles – a skincare brand recommended by dermatologists – and nail polish-coated lash strips were scattered on tables as the dressing room gradually filled with polystyrene heads resembling cotton candy clouds of hair. «We still have five more,» says Duffy. The show begins in four hours. Only 48 hours have passed since Marc Jacobs gave the green light for the look, and achieving the dyeing, styling, and layering (each model wears a sandwich of two wigs with a «hair donut» in the middle) of so many XXL hairpieces would normally take weeks, not days. «We talk about silhouette, and we talk about extremes,» says Duffy. «Interestingly, this started when Marc sent me a music video of The Supremes.»
Words: @annaamaso
