Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Marc Jacobs Fall 2010

The Marc Jacobs fall 2010 presentation, as always held at the Lexington avenue armory, was typical of his collections. If this were being said of any other designer, it would certainly carry a negative connotation, but the opposite is true of Jacobs. In fact, his intention was not to focus on visual neologism; as the designer remarked after the show: "there's so much striving for newness now that newness feels less new."

As obtuse and arch as such a statement might be, Jacobs certainly has a point. He is the only American designer who doesn't rely on two or three leitmotifs that flesh out every single collection (see Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Oscar de la Renta). Herein lie the genius and the enigma of the Marc Jacobs brand: his clothing is consistently identifiable, but never repetitive. One season riffs on punk rock, the next ruminates on 1940's pantsuits, and the next is a collection inspired by Marcel Duchamp... but all look like nothing except Marc Jacobs. And the reason behind this is that everything is, at some point, a Marc Jacobs signature. His oeuvre is so vast that it is impossible for his clothing to not be self-referential, and in this case nothing could be better.

What this translates to both on the runway as well as for the customer is singular pieces that aren't overly intellectualized, and somehow manage to be dramatic, unique, and utterly wearable simultaneously. Fall 2010: lingerie layers, pilgrim coats, heavy knits, sequins, Mongolian lamb fur, romantic dresses, drop waists, bows, ankle socks, optical wovens, antique velvet, grunge...all fresh, all familiar, all Marc.

Photos: Marcio Madeira / FirstView.com

Posted by stolibolly on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 9:18 AM