Notes on a Tenure: Marc Jacobs as Creative Director at Louis Vuitton between 1997-2013

I am so excited to be writing about one of my favorite designers, Marc Jacobs, and his sixteen years as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, between 1997 to 2013. A period in which we had the pleasure and privilege of experiencing Jacobs' incredible fashions, impeccable taste, and, crucially, his innovative collaboration.

Notes on a Tenure: Marc Jacobs as Creative Director with Louis Vuitton

Part I: The Road to Vuitton - Where Marc Jacobs was as a designer previous to being brought on as Creative Director, and where the heritage house was previous to his arrival.

Part II: Crucially: Collaborators - A sentiment borrowed from Charlie Porter; how Marc Jacobs redefined the fashion industry through his innovative, artistic collaborations.

And finally, my favorite part -

Part III: Collection Notes - I’ll be detailing my favorite collections within Marc Jacobs’ time at Vuitton.

PART I - THE ROAD TO VUITTON

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacob graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1984. that same year incepted his eponymous label, Marc Jacobs, which launched its first collection in 1986. In 1988. Mark Jacobs joined Perry Ellis as Creative Director, and just the year before he won the coveted CFDA New Fashion Talent Award.

So this man was hot from the start and that flame never went out, I feel it’s only burned brighter

His time at Perry Ellis was actually described by many as very successful, which is a bit dichotomous to how he ended his time there as he was fired after his very controversial 1992 grunge line (notes in the margin: this man has had his finger to the pulse for EVER).

Perry Ellis’s loss was now Louis Vuitton’s gain.

Now, Louis Vuitton.

I’m going to go a bit far back here but, walk with me, it comes full circle.

Louis Vuitton was a French fashion designer and skilled craftsman and he established his eponymous brand in Paris in 1854.

He was a pioneer in the fashion and luxury space of the time, having his finger to the pulse of what his clients were needing and desiring. I found this similarity between Vuitton and Jacobs to be both interesting and charming.

His first pieces were flat top, stackable trunk luggage. For context, previous to Vuitton's flat cases all luggage was dome shaped. Of course for the aristocrats of the time who were traveling between spaces (which requires the use of luggage) multiple, dome-shaped luggage pieces weren’t easily accommodated in the small spaces implicit to trains and train travel.

The ability to stack multiple pieces of luggage to fit such small compartments was revolutionary, innovate, and luxurious.

Then in 1925 Coco Chanel commissioned a leather handbag from Vuitton, the original Alma bag which is a shape still very much in production and sought after today, and thus Vuitton's leather goods business was born.

And that is the story of Louis Vuitton, luggage and leather goods, until 1997.

Bernard Arnault is the CEO of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and he appointed Marc Jacobs as Creative Director of Vuitton in 1997. 

But! I’d like to backtrack.

According to Marc Jacobs: if you’re gonna talk about Marc Jacobs being appointed at Louis Vuitton, we must talk about Tom Ford being appointed as Creative Director at Gucci.

Tom Ford joined Gucci in 1990. The brand, previous to then, was known for its bags, the famous horse bit, but ultimately in terms of revenue and relevance - not doing so well in the early 1990s.

Tom Ford was appointed Creative Director of the house in 1994 and boy did he turn that fashion house around. He made Gucci sexy, he made Gucci desirable, and most importantly: he made Gucci a lot of money.

How much money you ask?

One year into Ford's time as Creative Director, sales rose +90% and net revenue rose +76% - girl that’s take home.

Sales for the brand’s goods grew 90% between 1995 and 1996. net revenues increased 76% between 1995 and 1996, a year into Ford’s creative direction. from $500.1 million in 1995 to $880.7 million in 1996.

To achieve this level of monetary success in one year for a luxury brand that’s been around is massive. These heritage houses are not resting on their laurels, they’re fighting to stay relevant.

To stay relevant means to be ahead of the contemporary market which is scary, and only the bravest of artistic innovators can deliver as it’s accompanied by the stress of the uncertainty that comes with being ahead of the times. Of being wrong in your predictions.

To succeed in the world of fashion, where the only consistency is change and that change is occurring at breakneck speeds, is to be ten steps ahead of that change. Being that change, leading that change. Be both ahead of your customer and present with your customer. You’re a designer, an analyst, and an anthropologist.

This is exactly where Tom Ford was at Gucci, at this divine intersection between driving trends and making trends. Pitch perfect.

Arnault wanted to emulate Gucci’s success at one of his brands, and that meant finding his innovator, his Tom Ford.

Enter - Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton

Per Jacobs via System Stories: "When Mr Arnault approached me, he wanted to know what my vision of Vuitton in the future could be. I did this project where Vuitton could be a luxurious watch, Vuitton could be jewelry, it could be menswear and womenswear. It was just presenting the possibilities, as I saw it, of what the future would be for Vuitton."

Marc Jacobs became the first American designer at the helm of a heritage fashion house. and we’re all luckier for it.

Check out my video on Part I below! xxoo EN

PART II: CRUCIALLY, COLLABORATORS