Is it possible to become a bright star of the fashion industry if you were born to an ordinary family and created your first clothes with the help of an old grandmother’s knitting needles? The legendary New York designer Marc Jacobs proves that with each new collection. Once, the magazine Vogue called Marc Jacobs “the King of Midas”. Indeed, whatever he creates, for example, a clutch, an evening dress or sneakers, he is perfect at everything. Thousands of people dream of having an item in their wardrobe from Marc Jacobs. People admire him and try to repeat his incredible story. However, the secret of a designer’s success is not a secret at all. You just need to have talent and a great desire to become the best at what you love to do. Learn more at newyorka.
The main facts from Marc Jacobs’ biography
Marc Jacobs was born in New York City to a Jewish family on April 9, 1963. The childhood life of the future designer was characterized by regular moving. The boy was 7 years old when his father died. That is why his mother remarried three times and each time they lived in different houses. In the end, little Marc stayed to live with his grandmother in a big house in Manhattan. It was she who cultivated her grandson’s love for beautiful clothes and taught him to knit. Already in adulthood, the designer spoke very favorably about his grandmother.
Marc Jacobs started working at a quite young age. At the age of 15, he earned money in the New York boutique Charivari. Later, Marc Jacobs entered the famous Parsons School of Design in the specialty of fashion designe. There, he won the prestigious Gold Thimble Award and was one of the few students who received the prize for the best design.
After graduating from Parsons School, Marc Jacobs met his future friend and business partner, Robert Duffy. That is how the popular workshop Jacobs Duffy Designs appeared in the metropolis.
With his collections, Marc Jacobs causes a real stir. He surely knows how to make expensive clothes look as simple and stylish as possible. Top models of the 90s, such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, agreed to show Jacobs clothes at fashion shows without taking money.
In 1989, the partners were offered a job at the Perry Ellis fashion house. where Marc became a creative director and Robert became a president. However, after the show, in which the models were dressed in checkered shirts, wrinkled sweaters and Dr. Martens boots, the friends were dismissed. Nevertheless, the public received such an experiment with sincere delight.
In 1996, Marc Jacobs became Louis Vuitton’s creative director. The brand, in turn, helped the new designer to become more famous in the fashion world. As a result, Marc Jacobs was able to open his first boutique.
Drug addiction and trademark of the Marc Jacobs brand
In 2000, Marc Jacobs reached a crisis point in his life. Having an insane workload, he started consuming alcohol and drugs. For a while, this allowed him to feel vigorous and work more efficiently. Eventually, he ended up in a rehabilitation facility. After a year of treatment, the designer managed to overcome addiction.
Already in the early years of his career, Marc Jacobs had an incredible ability to sell simple and basic clothes for a big price. Jacobs was one of the first fashion designers to establish the so-called “street wise aesthetics”, blending “a little preppie, a little grunge, a little couture” in his clothes.
The designer is inspired by unordinary people who are not afraid to be themselves and show their bright sides. A New Yorker believes that every person can be like everyone else, but it is too boring. If you want to succeed, you need to get rid of the fear of being unique. Marc Jacobs had not only a design gift but also a big heart. In 2009, the designer released a collection of t-shirts and accessories, which he created together with artists with disabilities. All the profit he sent to the charity organization Creative Growth.