Marc Jacobs

1963- Present

           Marc Jacobs was born in New York City in 1963, his grandmother taught him how to knit, and he has been known to say that is grandmother was the biggest influence in his life. When Marc was 15 he worked as a stock boy at the trendy Charivari boutique, he was introduced to Perry Ellis at this time and Marc looked up to him greatly. Marc said Perry Ellis, “embodied cool to me. He had long hair; he didn’t wear a suit and tie, and he made funky clothes that were a big success. He gave me a lot of hope”. Marc studied at the Parsons School of Art and Design, where he won the Perry Ellis Golden Thimble award in 1984. He designed a grunge collection for Perry Ellis but they laid him off in 1992. Two years later he launched his on line, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista supported his line and worked for free. In 1997 Marc was appointed creative director of Louis Vuitton where he made the company’s first ready-to-wear line; he revamped the accessories line and has collaborated with Steven Sprouse, Julie Verhoeven, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince. 

Influences:

the 60's

 20's Flapper

Club Culture

Classic

(Pictures from Stylesight and Getty Images)

          Marc Jacobs is known for having a unique style and clothing that fits a woman beautifully. He has Collaborated with many designers that have led him to become the great American fashion designer he is today. 

          In the 90's Marc worked for Perry Ellis, he created a grunge look that reflected on the music and street wear of the time. This look didn't really fit in with the company's collections so Marc was fired. Marc is inspired by many designers he loves Courreges designs for his short and crisp look, he also loves Elsa Schiaparelli for her whimsy style and sense of humor. You can see a lot of influence from Schiaparelli in Marc's work by using bright colors.

          Marc influences other designers such as Derek Lam who combines sporty silhouettes with luxurious fabrics. Other designers like Christopher Bailey for Burberry and Antonio Marras for Kenzo have been influenced by his work. 

          Marc Jacobs to be is an iconic designer because he consistently creates popular designs that inspire designers; that to me automatically makes him an icon. He incorporates many different decades into his designs and it always seems to work; meshing the 60's with the 20's in his latest S/S 12 line was amazing and the two decades somehow fit perfectly together. 

      I have been lucky enough to own many pieces by Marc Jacobs, from shoes to purses to clothes, i love everything i own and i am a very big fan of his designs. His designs are clean but edgy, classic but alternative. 

  (Stylesight)

 (NY Times)

Works Cited

Craven, Jo. "Marc Jacobs." Fashion News, Latest Trends, Catwalk Photos & Designers (Vogue.com UK). Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://www.vogue.co.uk>.

"Marc Jacobs." Stock Photography, Royalty-Free Photos, Video Footage & Music | Getty Images. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://gettyimages.com>.

"Marc Jacobs." Stylesight: Home. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://stylesight.com>.

Thompson, Ginger. "Marc Jacobs | Spring Summer 2012 Full Fashion Show | Exclusive." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://nytimes.com>.

                                                                                       

Jeanne Lanvin

    1867-1946

          Jeanne Lanvin was born in Paris, France in 1867. She spent much of her youth as a seamstress and millinery apprentice. In 1883 Jeanne was employed to trim hats in Madame Felix’s workshop. She established her own millinery workshop when she was eighteen in 1885; she only had forty francs of cash and three hundred francs in credit. Jeanne married an Italian aristocrat in 1895, the marriage was brief but they had a child together. Her child inspired her to begin her design career. In 1908 Lanvin opened a children’s clothing store in her millinery shop, a year later she opened a department for women and girls. She joined the Syndicat de la Couture the rulers of the haute-couture industry.  Her first designs were long and lender with and empire waist that was comfortable. Jeanne Lanvin died in 1946 and her daughter became the managing director of her company. Her signature color “Lanvin blue” was inspired by fifteen- century Italian frescoes of Fra Angelico. She wanted to create perfect colors so she opened up her own dye factories, this made everything she made original and no one could duplicate the colors. The beading and embroidery were inspired by exotic destinations, Jeanne loved to travel and collect objects to inspire her.

Jeanne Lanvin was very forward thinking for her time, she was very influenced by exotic elements from all of her travels. Some of her work reminds me of Paul Poiret, the sleek lines and exotic feel are a lot like Poiret. Her designs were freeing and unstructured; this really showed the feeling of the times with women’s rights and empowerment. Jeanne Lanvin to me is an Icon, her styles have stayed true throughout time, and the company is still operating and making beautiful clothing just like Jeanne did.

    

            Jeanne Lanvin inspires many designers but one of the more pertinent designers that she inspired was Elsa Schiaparelli. Schiaparelli said in her biography that “if Mme. Lanvin was able to succeed, perhaps I might also succeed!”

Jeanne Lanvin also influenced Madame Gres to accommodate comfort with her dresses, that we see she has incorporated into her own designs.   

Works Cited

Home : Berg Fashion Library. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://bergfashionlibrary.com>.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://metmuseum.org>.

Palomo-Lovinski, Nöel. The World's Most Influential Fashion Designers: Hidden Connections and Lasting Legacies of Fashion's Iconic Creators. New York, NY: Barron's, 2010. Print.

Stylesight: Home. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://stylesight.com>.