Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs’ signature fusion of uptown sophisticate and downtown street vibe—demonstrated in his glamorization of grunge and in his graffiti-inspired collaboration with Stephen Sprouse for Louis Vuitton—has earned the designer acclaim from fashion editors and other industry professionals. American Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, a long time advocate of his work, has praised Jacobs’ knack for “making the conservative seem cool . . . and making the cool seem conservative.”

Although a native of New York City’s Upper West Side, Jacobs spent his formative years immersed in the city’s downtown scene and club culture. Following his graduation from The Parsons School of Design in 1984, Jacobs began his rapid ascent of the fashion world. His first signature collection was launched just two years later; by 1988, he was designing women’s wear for Perry Ellis. The following year he was promoted to head designer—and achieved uncommon critical success. Jacobs’ defining moment came with his now legendary, spring 1993 “Grunge” collection for Perry Ellis, a decidedly anti-fashion collection inspired by the urban music scene in Seattle, Washington. While the controversial collection was never released in stores, it was, and still is, highly regarded by the fashion press for its inspired individualism. “Grunge” resulted in Jacobs’ 1993 termination from Perry Ellis; ironically, that same year, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named Jacobs its Women’s Wear Designer of the Year.

Jacobs had has a cultlike following both under his own label and as artistic director for Louis Vuitton, where he served from 1997 to 2013. The designs of this relentlessly inventive American designer, in equal parts sophisticated and eclectic, continue to reflect the cultural zeitgeist. His 2003 collaboration with Takeshi Murakami for Louis Vuitton paired fashion with anime and helped bring j-pop into high fashion. His ongoing series of advertising collaborations with photographer Juergen Teller has featured pop icons and tabloid celebrities alike, including Winona Ryder, Sofia Coppola, Victoria Beckham, and even child star Dakota Fanning.