Marc Jacobs: A Hit and Miss Designer? Or a Visionary Genius?

Marc Jacobs. He just lost me again. Spring 2009 was the first time in years that I stop and thought “Wow. Want. Must Have.” about Marc Jacobs’ namesake line. Mary Poppins hats, pencil skirts and cinched waists galore—all in eccentric printed patterns. It was a fluke, I thought. But then things just got better with Fall 2009. The cardigans, gothy dresses, bright florescent colors and black, everywhere black. It was heaven on the runway. So it was with high hopes that I viewed his Spring 2010 line.

Wait, what? 1990 called, Madonna wants her bra back. The high collars I can dig. Outrageous, exaggerated collars were all the rave during the Fall 2009 fashion weeks. I have to say I love the way they look. But underwear as outerwear? Didn’t we already see this?

It led me to wonder how or why Marc Jacobs is considered a fashion icon, a directional and an innovative designer when his collections are completely hit or miss. Do you remember the baggy, dull clothes from Fall 2008? In his own words, “I really wasn’t very inspired this season. I just live my life.” I thought about that while flipping through some previous collections.

Then it came to me, like a Marc Jacobs bag on a platter. Jacobs is an icon because he truly gets inspired, he dares to go places that make us gasp in delight or leave us with a perplexed look of why? He’s not an Alexander McQueen- avant garde 24/7 pushing the extremes. No, he’s a man with a (consumer-orientated) vision. Even in this current collection he is taking a part of fashion history, breaking it down, tearing it apart and putting it back together.

Take, for example his off-the-shoulder blouse with burmudas and matching fanny-pack (see below left). Just saying that word makes me cringe. But Jacobs was able to take a hideous tourist-only accessory and make it attractive and wearable. That’s innovative.

The entire collection is splattered with ruffles, from collars to pant side seams; it’s an inspiration that seems to stem from doll clothes. While the first half dozen or so don’t look remotely everyday wearable, the ruffles mellow until we get a perfect balance of deconstruction and dollhouse in the flowy beige number. (see below right.)

So while Jacobs doesn’t always make sense and while his collection sometimes feel lackluster. He seems to have a 2/1 ratio of “love it”/”hate it” collections. But when he gets on an inspiration spree we’re always set for a season that will wow. I think this season is his down one. I don’t completely hate it, just don’t love or fully understand. But that’s the thing about visionaries: You don’t always get where they are coming from or going until after they do.

Marc Jacobs RTW Spring 2010

Images via Style.com