Robert Duffy, president of Marc Jacobs, must be in panic mode today!
I have not gotten around to reading the full NY Times article, but it seems a good gist of it is that Marc Jacobs is no longer, cool, relevant, or fashion forward:
I have not gotten around to reading the full NY Times article, but it seems a good gist of it is that Marc Jacobs is no longer, cool, relevant, or fashion forward:
“He’s not as cool as he used to be,” said Tracy L. Cox, a designer and Hollywood stylist whose high-profile client list includes Sarah Jessica Parker and Jessica Seinfeld. “Most of my friends who are fashion forward, that’s not one of the brands they look to.”
StyleCaster & Fashionista have rounded up all the blunt quotes for you see some after the jump.
I think from a branding perspective; Jacobs over exposed him self, over the past few years. Too much of anything is no good, and he sure went overboard, in my opinion. For me the turning point was the Industrie magazine cover he did last year. I remember rolling my eyes at it. But we'll see how the company spins this. I still think there is a lot of life left in the designer, they just need to be smart in repositioning him.
Perception goes a long way.
Who I think has been done for quite a long time now is Lagerfeld; but somehow he's fooling everyone. He plays the perception game very well.
The NYT then goes on to make a case that, yes, it seems like Marc Jacobs may be done. Or at least heading in that direction. The points of contention:
He isn’t original and doesn’t have a signature look:
To which Marc replied, “You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. If you stay with one look, people just say, ‘Oh, he does the same thing every season.’ If you do something different each time, you’re some kind of fashion impostor.”
To which Marc replied, “You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. If you stay with one look, people just say, ‘Oh, he does the same thing every season.’ If you do something different each time, you’re some kind of fashion impostor.”
He’s no longer “cool”:
Citing new designers like Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang as the choice of hip young things now, he may be losing street cred. One fashion student said that he looked “commercial” and that she would rather buy Prada or Lanvin. Retailers wouldn’t comment about Marc Jacobs sales, but the author noted that Marc by Marc has been relegated to the back of Barneys Co-op.
Citing new designers like Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang as the choice of hip young things now, he may be losing street cred. One fashion student said that he looked “commercial” and that she would rather buy Prada or Lanvin. Retailers wouldn’t comment about Marc Jacobs sales, but the author noted that Marc by Marc has been relegated to the back of Barneys Co-op.
His looks never show up on the red carpet:
A stylist called them “avant-garde.” Perhaps red carpet clothes need to be boring by definition. Heidi Klum wore Spring 2011 Marc to the Golden Globes and was panned by the mainstream fashion media. (We don’t recall ever having seen Alex Wang on the red carpet either, nor do we foresee it in the near future. Just saying.)
A stylist called them “avant-garde.” Perhaps red carpet clothes need to be boring by definition. Heidi Klum wore Spring 2011 Marc to the Golden Globes and was panned by the mainstream fashion media. (We don’t recall ever having seen Alex Wang on the red carpet either, nor do we foresee it in the near future. Just saying.)
People liked him better when he was fat and dumpy:
The new buff, naked Marc is apparently too intimidating. He’s definitely been more visibly attached to the brand since he got hot (Bang ads, anyone?) Is this sort of in-your-face message too much and overwhelming his brand?
The new buff, naked Marc is apparently too intimidating. He’s definitely been more visibly attached to the brand since he got hot (Bang ads, anyone?) Is this sort of in-your-face message too much and overwhelming his brand?
The article raises some really good points and is definitely worth a read. When you’ve been doing something for 20 years, especially in fashion, the masses will eventually tire of you. I remember getting my first Marc Jacobs bag about ten years ago. It’s now wrapped up in my closet. Is it because it’s not cool to use it anymore? Oh, the fickleness of fashion.
[fashionista & Fashion Cospious]
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